-*'■■•-     ft  i  'kU\ 


MADE  IN  USA 

MCLOUGHLIN  BROS. Inc. 


SPRINGFIELD,  MASS. 


} 


iillllf 

00022229009 


IS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://archive.org/details/blackbeautyautob1820 


BLACK  BEAUTY 

The  Autobiography  of  a  Horse 

BY  ANNA  SEWELL 


ILLUSTRATED 


McLOUGHLIN  BRO'S.,  Inc. 

SPRINGFIELD        .        MASSACHUSETTS 
Made  in  U.  S.  A. 


"->•        S.        A. 


PUBLISHERS 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


CHAPTER  I 

MY    EARLY    HOME 


The  first  place  that  I  can  well  remember  was  a  pleasant  meadow  with  a 
pond  of  clear  water  in  it.  Some  shady  trees  leaned  over  it,  and  rushes 
and  water-lilies  grew  at  the  deep  end.  Over  the  hedge  on  one  side  we 
looked  into  a  plowed  field,  and  on  the  other  we  looked  over  a  gate  at  our 
master's  house,  which  stood  by  the  roadside;  at  the  top  of  the  meadow 
was  a  grove  of  fir  trees,  and  at  the  bottom  a  running  brook,  overhung  by 
a  steep  bank. 

While  I  was  young  I  lived  upon  my  mother's  milk,  as  I  could  not  eat 
grass.  In  the  daytime  I  ran  by  her  side,  and  at  night  I  lay  down  close 
by  her.  When  it  was  hoT;  we  used  to  stay  by  the  pond  in  the  shade  of  the 
trees,  and  when  it  was  cold  we  had  a  warm  shed  near  the  grove. 

There  were  six  young  colts  in  the  meadow  beside  me;  they  were  older 
than  I  was.  I  used  to  run  with  them,  and  had  great  fun.  We  used  to 
gallop  all  together  round  the  field,  as  hard  as  we  could  go,  and  some- 
times we  had  rather  rough  play,  for  they  would  bite  and  kick,  as  well  as 
gallop. 

One  day  when  there  was  a  good  deal  of  kicking,  my  mother  whinnied 
to  me  to  come  to  her,  and  then  she  said:  "I  wish  you  to  pay  attention  to 
what  I  am  going  to  say.  The  colts  who  live  here  are  very  good  colts,  but 
they  are  cart-horse- colts,  and  they  have  not  learned  manners.  You  have 
been  well-born  and  well-bred;  your  father  has  a  great  name  in  these 
parts,  and  your  grandfather  won  the  cup  at  the  races;  your  grandmother 
had  the  sweetest  temper  of  any  horse  I  ever  knew,  and  I  think  you  have 
never  seen  me  kick  or  bite.  I  hope  you  will  grow  up  gentle  and  good, 
and  never  learn  bad  ways;  do  your  work  with  a  good  will,  lift  your  feet 
Up  well  when  you  trot,  and  never  bite  or  kick  even  in  play. " 

I  have  never  forgotten  my  mother's  advice.  I  knew  she  was  a  wise  old 
horse,  and  our  master  thought  a  great  deal  of  her.  Her  name  was  Duch- 
ess, but  he  called  her  Pet. 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


'In  the  daytime  I  ran  by  her  side." — Page  3 


Our  master  was  a  kind  good,  man.  He  gave  us  good  food,  good  lodg- 
ing and  kind  words;  he  spoke  as  kindly  to  us  as  he  did  to  his  little  child- 
ren. We  were  all  fond  of  him,  and  my  mother  loved  him  very  much. 
When  she  saw  him  at  the  gate  she  would  neigh  with  joy,  and  trot  up  to 
him.  He  would  pat  and  stroke  her  and  say,  "  Well,  old  Pet,  and  how  is 
your  little  Darkle  ?  "  I  was  a  dull  black,  so  he  called  me  Darkie;  then  he 
would  give  me  a  piece  of  bread,  which  was  very  good,  and  sometimes  he 
brought  a  carrot  for  my  mother.    All  the  horses  would  come  to  him,  but  I 


BLACK    BEAUTY  5 

think  we  were  his  favorites.  My  mother  always  took  him  to  town  on  a 
market-day  in  a  light  gig. 

We  had  a  plowboy,  Dick,  who  used  sometimes  to  come  into  our  field 
to  pluck  blackberries  from  the  hedge.  When  he  had  eaten  all  he  wanted 
he  would  have  what  he  called  fun  with  the  colts,  throwing  stones  and 
sticks  at  them  to  make  them  gallop.  We  did  not  much  mind  him,  for  we 
could  gallop  off;  but  sometimes  a  stone  would  hit  and  hurt  us. 

One  day  he  was  at  this  game,  and  did  not  know  that  the  master  was 
in  the  next  field,  watching  what  was  going  on;  over  the  hedge  he  jumped 
in  a  snap,  and,  catching  Dick  by  the  arm,  he  gave  him  such  a  box  on  the 
ear  as  made  him  roar  with  pain  and  surprise.  As  soon  as  we  saw  the 
master  we  trotted  up  nearer  to  see  what  went  on. 

"Bad  boy!"  he  said,  "bad  boy!  to  chase  the  colts.  This  is  not  the 
first  time,  but  it  shall  be  the  last.  There — take  your  money  and  go  home; 
I  shall  not  want  you  on  my  farm  any  longer."  So  we  never  saw  Dick 
any  more.  Old  Daniel,  the  man  who  looked  after  the  horses,  was  just 
as  gentle  as  our  master;  so  we  were  well  off. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE     HUNT 


Before  I  was  two  years  old  a  circumstance  happened  which  I  have 
never  forgotten.  It  was  early  in  the  spring;  there  had  been  a  little  frost 
in  the  night,  and  a  light  mist  still  hung  over  the  woods  and  meadows. 
The  other  colts  and  I  were  feeding  at  the  lower  part  of  the  field  when  we 
heard  what  sounded  like  the  cry  of  dogs.  The  oldest  of  the  colts  raised 
his  head  and  pricked  up  his  ears,  and  said,  "  There  are  the  hounds ! "  and 
cantered  off,  followed  by  the  rest  of  us,  to  the  upper  part  of  the  field, 
where  we  could  look  over  the  hedge  and  see  several  fields  beyond.  My 
mother  and  an  old  riding  horse  of  our  master's  were  also  standing  near, 
and  they  seemed  to  know  all  about  it.  "They  have  found  a  hare,"  said 
my  mother,  "  and  if  they  come  this  way  we  shall  see  the  hunt. " 

Soon  all  the  dogs  were  tearing  down  the  field  of  young  wheat  next  to 
ours.  I  never  heard  such  a  noise  as  they  made.  They  did  not  bark,  nor 
howl,  nor  whine,  but  kept  on  a  "yo!  yo,  o,  o!  yo,  0,0!"  at  the  top  of  their 
voices.    After  them  came  a  number  of  men  on  horseback,  all  galloping 


6  BLACK    BEAUTY 

as  fast  as  they  could.  The  old  horses  snorted  and  looked  eagerly  after 
them,  and  we  young  colts  wanted  to  be  galloping  with  them,  but  they 
were  soon  away  into  the  fields  lower  down.  Here  it  seemed  as  if  they  had 
come  to  a  stand ;  the  dogs  left  off  barking  and  ran  about  every  way  with 
their  noses  to  the  ground. 

"They  have  lost  the  scent,"  said  the  old  horse,  "perhaps  the  hare  will 
get  off. " 

"What  hare?"  said  I. 

" Oh,  I  don't  know  what  hare;  likely  enough  it  may  be  one  of  our  own 
hares  out  of  the  woods.  Any  hare  they  can  find  will  do  for  the  dogs  and 
men  to  run  after."  Before  long  the  dogs  began  their  "yo;  yo,  o,  o!" 
again;  and  back  they  all  came  at  full  speed,  making  straight  for  our  mea- 
dow at  the  part  where  the  high  bank  and  hedge  overhung  the  brook. 

"Now  we  shall  see  the  hare,"  said  my  mother;  and  just  then  a  hare, 
wild  with  fright,  rushed  by  and  made  for  the  woods.  On  came  the  dogs; 
they  burst  over  the  bank,  leaped  the  stream  and  came  dashing  across  the 
field,  followed  by  the  huntsmen.  Several  men  leaped  their  horses  clean 
over,  close  upon  the  dogs.  The  hare  tried  to  get  through  the  fence,  but  it 
was  too  thick,  and  she  turned  sharp  around  to  make  for  the  road.  But  it 
was  too  late;  the  dogs  were  upon  her  with  their  wild  cries;  we  heard  one 
shriek,  and  that  was  the  end  of  her.  One  of  the  huntsmen  rode  up  and 
whipped  off  the  dogs,  who  would  soon  have  torn  her  to  pieces.  He  held 
her  up  by  one  leg,  torn  and  bleeding,  and  all  the  gentlemen  seemed  well- 
pleased. 

As  for  me,  I  was  so  astonished  that  I  did  not  at  first  see  what  was  going 
on  by  the  brook;  but  when  I  did  look,  there  was  a  sad  sight;  two  fine 
horses  were  down;  one  was  struggling  in  the  stream,  and  another  was 
groaning  on  the  grass.  One  of  the  riders  was  getting  out  of  the  water, 
the  other  lay  quite  still. 

"His  neck  is  broken,"  said  my  mother. 

"It  serves  him  right,  too,"  said  one  of  the  colts. 

I  thought  so  too,  but  my  mother  did  not  join  us  in  this  opinion. 

"  Well,  no, "  she  said,  " you  must  not  say  that;  but,  though  I  am  an  old 
horse,  and  have  seen  and  heard  a  great  deal,  I  never  yet  could  make  out 
why  men  are  so  fond  of  this  sport.  They  o!ten  hurt  themselves,  often 
spoil  good  horses,  and  tear  up  fields,  and  all  for  a  hare  or  a  fox  or  a  stag, 
that  they  could  get  more  easily  some  other  way;  but  we  are  only  horses 
and  don't  know." 


BLACK     BEAUTY 


"Several  men  leaped  their  horses  over." — Page  6 


While  my  mother  was  saying  this,  we  stood  and  looked  on.  Many  of 
of  the  riders  had  gone  to  the  young  man;  but  my  master  was  the  first  to 
raise  him.  His  head  fell  back  and  his  arms  hung  down,  and  every  one 
looked  very  serious.    There  was  no  noise  now;  even  the  dogs  were  quiet, 


10  BLACK    BEAUTY 

Every  one  may  not  know  what  breaking  in  is,  therefore  I  will  describe 
it.  It  means  to  teach  a  horse  to  wear  a  saddle  and  bridle,  and  to  carry 
on  his  back  a  man,  woman,  or  child;  to  go  just  the  way  they  wish,  and  to 
go  quietly.  Besides  this,  he  has  to  learn  to  wear  a  collar,  a  crupper,  and 
a  breeching,  and  to  stand  still  while  they  are  being  put  on ;  then  to  have  a 
v;art  or  chaise  fixed  behind,  so  that  he  cannot  walk  or  trot  without  drag- 
ging it  after  him;  and  he  must  go  fast  or  slow,  just  as  his  driver  wishes. 
He  must  never  start  at  what  he  sees,  nor  speak  to  other  horses,  nor  bite, 
nor  kick,  nor  have  any  will  of  his  own,  but  always  do  his  master's  will, 
even  though  he  may  be  very  tired  or  hungry;  but  worst  of  all  is,  when  his 
harness  is  once  on,  he  may  neither  jump  for  joy  nor  lie  down  for  weari- 
ness.   So  you  see  this  breaking  in  is  a  great  thing. 

I  had,  of  course,  been  long  used  to  halter  and  head-stall,  and  to  being 
led  about  the  fields  and  lanes  quietly;  but  now  I  was  to  have  a  bit  and  a 
bridle.  My  master  gave  me  some  oats  as  usual,  and  after  a  good  deal  of 
coaxing  he  got  the  bit  into  my  mouth  and  the  bridle  fixed,  but  it  was  a 
nasty  thing!  Those  who  have  never  had  a  bit  in  their  mouths  can  not 
think  how  bad  it  feels;  a  great  piece  of  cold  hard  steel  as  thick  as  a  man's 
finger  to  be  pushed  into  one's  mouth,  between  one's  teeth,  and  over  one's 
tongue,  with  the  ends  coming  out  at  the  corner  of  your  mouth,  and  held 
fast  there  by  three  straps  over  your  head,  under  your  throat,  round  your 
nose  and  under  your  chin  so  that  no  way  in  the  world  can  you  get  rid  of 
the  nasty  hard  thing;  it  is  very  hard  to  bear,  at  least  I  thought  so.  Btit 
I  knew  my  mother  always  wore  one  when  she  went  out,  and  all  horses  did 
when  they  were  grown  up;  and  so,  what  with  the  nice  oats,  and  what 
with  my  master's  pats  and  kind  words,  and  gentle  ways,  I  got  to  wear 
my  bit  and  bridle. 

Next  came  the  saddle,  but  that  was  not  half  so  bad;  my  master  put  it 
on  my  back  very  gently  while  old  Daniel  held  my  head ;  he  then  made 
the  girths  fast  under  my  body,  patting  and  talking  to  me  all  the  time.  I 
then  had  a  few  oats,  then  a  little  leading  about;  and  this  he  did  every  day 
till  I  began  to  look  for  the  oats  and  the  saddle.  At  length,  one  morning, 
my  master  got  on  my  back  and  rode  me  around  the  meadow  on  the  soft 
grass.  It  certainly  did  feel  queer;  but  I  must  say  I  felt  rather  proud  to 
carry  my  master,  and  as  he  continued  to  ride  me  a  little  every  day,  I  soon 
became  accustomed  to  it. 

The  next  unpleasant  business  was  putting  on  the  iron  shoes ;  that,  too 
was  very  hard  at  first.    My  master  went  with  me  to  the  smith's  forge,  to 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


11 


"There  I  stood  snorting  with  astonishment  and  fear." — Page  12 

see  that  I  was  not  hurt  or  frightened.  The  blacksmith  took  my  feet  in 
his  hand,  one  after  another,  and  cut  away  some  of  the  hoof.  It  did  not 
pain  me  at  all.  Then  he  took  a  piece  of  iron  the  shape  of  my  foot,  and 
clapped  it  on,  and  drove  some  nails  through  the  shoe  quite  into  my  hoof, 


12  BLACK    BEAUTY 

so  that  the  shoe  was  firmly  on.  My  feet  felt  very  stiff  and  heavy,  but  in 
time  I  got  used  to  the  shoes,  too. 

And  now,  having  got  so  far,  my  master  went  on  to  break  me  to  harness. 
There  were  now  more  new  things  to  wear.  First,  a  stiff,  heavy  collar 
just  on  my  neck,  and  a  bridle  with  great  side-pieces  against  my  eyes, 
called  blinkers,  and  blinkers  indeed  they  were,  for  I  could  not  see  on 
either  side,  but  only  straight  in  front  of  me;  next  there  was  a  small  sad- 
dle with  a  nasty  stiff  strap  that  went  right  under  my  tail;  that  was  the 
crupper. 

I  must  not  forget  to  mention  one  part  of  my  training,  which  I  have 
always  considered  a  great  advantage.  My  master  sent  me  for  a  fort- 
night to  a  neighboring  farmer's,  who  had  a  meadow  which  was  skirted 
on  one  side  by  the  railway.  Here  were  some  sheep  and  cows,  and  I  was 
turned  in  among  them. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  first  train  that  went  by.  I  was  feeding  quietly 
near  the  pales  which  separated  the  meadow  from  the  railway,  when  I 
heard  a  strange  sound  at  a  distance,  and  before  I  knew  whence  it  came — 
with  a  rush  and  a  clatter,  and  a  puffing  out  of  smoke — a  long  black  train 
of  something  flew  by,  and  was  gone  almost  before  I  could  draw  my 
breath.  I  galloped  to  the  further  side  of  the  meadow,  and  there  I  stood 
snorting  with  astonishment  and  fear.  In  the  course  of  the  day  many 
other  trains  went  by,  some  more  slowly.  These  drew  up  at  the  station 
close  by,  and  sometimes  made  an  awful  shriek  and  groan  before  they 
stopped.  I  thought  it  very  dreadful,  but  the  cows  went  on  eating  very 
quietly,  and  hardly  raised  their  heads  as  the  black  frightful  thing  came 
puffing  and  grinding  past.  For  the  first  few  days  I  could  not  feed  in  any 
peace;  but  as  I  found  that  this  terrible  creature  never  came  into  the  field 
or  never  did  me  any  any  harm,  I  began  to  disregard  it,  and  very  soon  I 
cared  as  little  about  the  passing  of  a  train  as  the  cows  and  sheep  did. 

My  master  often  drove  me  in  double  harness  with  my  mother,  because 
she  was  steady  and  could  teach  me  how  to  go  better  than  a  strange  horse. 
She  told  me  the  better  I  behaved  the  better  I  should  be  treated,  and  that 
it  was  wisest  always  to  do  my  best  to  please  my  master.  "  I  hope  you  will 
fall  into  good  hands,  but  a  horse  never  knows  who  may  buy  him,  or  who 
may  drive  him.  It's  all  a  chance  for  us;  but  still  I  say,  do  your  best  wher- 
ever it  is,  and  keep  your  good  name." 


BLACK    BEAUTY  IS 


CHAPTER  IV 

MY    NEW    HOME 

It  was  early  in  May,  when  there  came  a  man  from  Gordon's  who  took 
me  away  to  the  Hall.  My  master  said,  "Good-bye,  Darkie;  be  a  good 
horse,  and  always  do  your  best."  I  could  not  say  "good-bye,"  so  I  put 
my  nose  in  his  hand,  he  patted  me  kindly,  and  I  left  my  first  home. 

Gordon's  park  skirted  the  village  of  Birtwick.  It  was  entered  by  a 
large  iron  gate,  and  then  you  trotted  along  on  a  smooth  road  between 
clumps  of  large  old  trees;  then  another  gate,  which  brought  you  to  the 
house  and  the  gardens. 

The  stable  into  which  I  was  taken  was  very  roomy,  with  four  good 
stalls.  The  first  stall  was  a  large  square  one,  shut  in  behind  with  a  wood- 
en gate.  The  others  were  common  stalls,  not  nearly  so  large.  It  had  a 
low  rack  for  hay  and  a  low  manger  for  corn ;  it  was  called  a  box  stall,  and 
the  horse  that  was  put  into  it  was  not  tied,  but  left  loose,  to  do  as  he 
liked. 

Into  this  fine  stall  the  groom  put  me.  It  was  clean  and  sweet  and  very 
airy.  I  never  was  in  a  better  stall  than  that,  and  the  sides  were  not  so 
high  but  I  could  see  all  that  went  on  through  the  iron  rails  that  were  at 
the  top. 

He  gave  me  some  very  nice  oats,  patted  me,  spoke  kindly,  and  then 
went  away. 

When  I  had  eaten  my  oats  I  looked  around.  In  the  stall  next  to  mine 
stood  a  little  fat  gray  pony,  with  a  thick  mane  and  tail,  a  very  pretty  head, 
and  a  pert  little  nose.  I  put  my  head  up  to  the  iron  rails  at  the  top  of  my 
box,  and  said,  "  How  do  you  do  ?    What  is  your  name  ?  " 

He  turned  around  as  far  as  his  halter  would  allow,  held  up  his  head, 
and  said,  "  My  name  is  Merrylegs.  I  am  very  handsome.  I  carry  the 
young  ladies  on  my  back,  and  sometimes  I  take  our  mistress  out  in  the 
low  chaise.  They  think  a  great  deal  of  me,  and  so  does  James.  Are  you 
going  to  live  next  door  to  me  in  that  box  ?" 

I  said,  "yes." 

"Well,  then,"  he  said,  "I  hope  you  are  good-tempered.  I  do  not  like 
any  one  next  door  who  bites." 


12  BLACK    BEAUTY 

so  that  the  shoe  was  firmly  on.  My  feet  felt  very  stiff  and  heavy,  but  in 
time  I  got  used  to  the  shoes,  too. 

And  now,  having  got  so  far,  my  master  went  on  to  break  me  to  harness. 
There  were  now  more  new  things  to  wear.  First,  a  stiff,  heavy  collar 
just  on  my  neck,  and  a  bridle  with  great  side-pieces  against  my  eyes, 
called  blinkers,  and  blinkers  indeed  they  were,  for  I  could  not  see  on 
either  side,  but  only  straight  in  front  of  me;  next  there  was  a  small  sad- 
dle with  a  nasty  stiff  strap  that  went  right  under  my  tail;  that  was  the 
crupper. 

I  must  not  forget  to  mention  one  part  of  my  training,  which  I  have 
always  considered  a  great  advantage.  My  master  sent  me  for  a  fort- 
night to  a  neighboring  farmer's,  who  had  a  meadow  which  was  skirted 
on  one  side  by  the  railway.  Here  were  some  sheep  and  cows,  and  I  was 
turned  in  among  them. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  first  train  that  went  by.  I  was  feeding  quietly 
near  the  pales  which  separated  the  meadow  from  the  railway,  when  I 
heard  a  strange  sound  at  a  distance,  and  before  I  knew  whence  it  came — 
with  a  rush  and  a  clatter,  and  a  puffing  out  of  smoke — a  long  black  train 
of  something  flew  by,  and  was  gone  almost  before  I  could  draw  my 
breath.  I  galloped  to  the  further  side  of  the  meadow,  and  there  I  stood 
snorting  with  astonishment  and  fear.  In  the  course  of  the  day  many 
other  trains  went  by,  some  more  slowly.  These  drew  up  at  the  station 
close  by,  and  sometimes  made  an  awful  shriek  and  groan  before  they 
stopped.  I  thought  it  very  dreadful,  but  the  cows  went  on  eating  very 
quietly,  and  hardly  raised  their  heads  as  the  black  frightful  thing  came 
puffing  and  grinding  past.  For  the  first  few  days  I  could  not  feed  in  any 
peace;  but  as  I  found  that  this  terrible  creature  never  came  into  the  field 
or  never  did  me  any  any  harm,  I  began  to  disregard  it,  and  very  soon  I 
cared  as  little  about  the  passing  of  a  train  as  the  cows  and  sheep  did. 

My  master  often  drove  me  in  double  harness  with  my  mother,  because 
she  was  steady  and  could  teach  me  how  to  go  better  than  a  strange  horse. 
She  told  me  the  better  I  behaved  the  better  I  should  be  treated,  and  that 
it  was  wisest  always  to  do  my  best  to  please  my  master.  "  I  hope  you  will 
fall  into  good  hands,  but  a  horse  never  knows  who  may  buy  him,  or  who 
may  drive  him.  It's  all  a  chance  for  us ;  but  still  I  say,  do  your  best  wher- 
ever it  is,  and  keep  your  good  name." 


BLACK    BEAUTY  IS 


CHAPTER  IV 

MY    NEW    HOME 

It  was  early  in  May,  when  there  came  a  man  from  Gordon's  who  took 
me  away  to  the  Hall.  My  master  said,  "Good-bye,  Darkie;  be  a  good 
horse,  and  always  do  your  best."  I  could  not  say  "good-bye,"  so  I  put 
my  nose  in  his  hand,  he  patted  me  kindly,  and  I  left  my  first  home. 

Gordon's  park  skirted  the  village  of  Birtwick.  It  was  entered  by  a 
large  iron  gate,  and  then  you  trotted  along  on  a  smooth  road  between 
clumps  of  large  old  trees;  then  another  gate,  which  brought  you  to  the 
house  and  the  gardens. 

The  stable  into  which  I  was  taken  was  very  roomy,  with  four  good 
stalls.  The  first  stall  was  a  large  square  one,  shut  in  behind  with  a  wood- 
en gate.  The  others  were  common  stalls,  not  nearly  so  large.  It  had  a 
low  rack  for  hay  and  a  low  manger  for  corn ;  it  was  called  a  box  stall,  and 
the  horse  that  was  put  into  it  was  not  tied,  but  left  loose,  to  do  as  he 
liked. 

Into  this  fine  stall  the  groom  put  me.  It  was  clean  and  sweet  and  very 
airy.  I  never  was  in  a  better  stall  than  that,  and  the  sides  were  not  so 
high  but  I  could  see  all  that  went  on  through  the  iron  rails  that  were  at 
the  top. 

He  gave  me  some  very  nice  oats,  patted  me,  spoke  kindly,  and  then 
went  away. 

When  I  had  eaten  my  oats  I  looked  around.  In  the  stall  next  to  mine 
stood  a  little  fat  gray  pony,  with  a  thick  mane  and  tail,  a  very  pretty  head, 
and  a  pert  little  nose.  I  put  my  head  up  to  the  iron  rails  at  the  top  of  my 
box,  and  said,  "  How  do  you  do  ?    What  is  your  name  ?  " 

He  turned  around  as  far  as  his  halter  would  allow,  held  up  his  head, 
and  said,  "My  name  is  Merrylegs.  I  am  very  handsome.  I  carry  the 
young  ladies  on  my  back,  and  sometimes  I  take  our  mistress  out  in  the 
low  chaise.  They  think  a  great  deal  of  me,  and  so  does  James.  Are  you 
going  to  live  next  door  to  me  in  that  box  ?" 

I  said,  "yes." 

"  Well,  then, "  he  said,  "  I  hope  you  are  good-tempered.  I  do  not  like 
any  one  next  door  who  bites. " 


14  BLACK    BEAUTY 

Just  then  a  horse's  head  looked  over  from  the  stall  beyond;  the  ears 
were  laid  back,  and  the  eye  looked  rather  ill-tempered.  This  was  a  tall 
chestnut  mare,  with  a  long  handsome  neck.  She  looked  across  to  me 
and  said,  "  So  it  is  you  have  turned  me  out  of  my  box.  It  is  very  strange 
for  a  colt  like  you  to  come  and  turn  a  lady  out  of  her  home. " 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  I  said,  "I  have  turned  no  one  out.  The  man 
who  brought  me  here  put  me  in  here  and  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I 
never  had  words  with  a  horse  or  mare,  and  it  is  my  wish  to  live  in  peace. " 

"Well,"  she  said,  "we  shall  see;  of  course,  I  do  not  want  to  have  any 
words  with  a  young  thing  like  you. " 

I  said  no  more.  In  the  afternoon,  when  she  went  out,  Merrylegs  told 
me  all  about  it. 

"The  thing  is  this,"  said  Merrylegs.  "Ginger  has  a  habit  of  biting 
and  snapping.  That  is  why  they  call  her  Ginger,  and  when  she  was  in 
the  box  stall  she  used  to  snap  very  much.  One  day  she  bit  James  in  the 
arm  and  made  it  bleed,  and  so  Miss  Flora  and  Miss  Jessie,  who  are  very 
fond  of  me,  were  afraid  to  come  into  the  stable.  They  used  to  bring  me 
nice  things  to  eat,  an  apple,  or  a  carrot,  or  a  piece  of  bread;  but  after 
Ginger  stood  in  that  box,  they  dared  not  come,  and  I  missed  the\n  very 
much.  I  hope  they  will  come  again  now,  if  you  do  not  bite  or  snap."  I 
told  him  I  never  bit  anything  but  grass,  hay,  and  corn,  and  could  not 
think  what  pleasure  Ginger  found  it. 

"Well,  I  don't  think  she  does  find  pleasure,"  said  Merrylegs;  "it  is 
just  a  bad  habit.  She  says  no  one  was  ever  kind  to  her,  and  why  should 
she  not  bite  ?  Of  course,  it  is  a  very  bad  habit;  but  I  am  sure,  if  all  she 
says  be  true,  she  must  have  been  ill  used  before  she  came  here.  John 
does  all  he  can  to  please  her;  so  I  think  she  might  be  good-tempered  here. 
You  see, "  he  said,  with  a  wise  look,  "  I  am  twelve  years  old.  I  know  a 
great  deal,  and  I  can  tell  you  there  is  not  a  better  place  for  a  horse  all 
round  the  country  than  this.  John  is  the  best  groom  that  ever  was.  He 
has  been  here  fourteen  years,  and  you  never  saw  such  a  kind  boy  as 
James  is,  so  that  it  is  all  Ginger's  own  fault  that  she  did  not  stay  in  the 
box  stall." 

The  name  of  the  coachman  was  John  Manly.  He  had  a  wife  and  one 
child,  and  they  lived  in  the  coachman's  cottage,  near  the  stables. 

The  next  morning  he  took  me  out  into  the  yard  and  gave  me  a  good 
grooming,  and  just  as  I  was  going  into  my  box,  with  my  coat  soft  and 
bright,  the  squire  came  to  me  and  looked  me  over.    He  seemed  pleased, 


BLACK    BEAUTY  15 

v_X      n    \    \\\     \      ,   \   \      \     L-L-JJ      1      ! 


"I  had  a  tight,  airy  stable  and  the  best  of  food."— Page  18 


16  BLACK    BEAUTY 

and  said,  "  John,  I  meant  to  have  tried  the  new  horse  this  morning,  but  I 
have  other  business.  You  may  as  well  take  him  around  after  breakfast; 
go  by  the  common  and  the  Highwood,  and  back  by  the  water-mill  and 
the  river;  that  will  show  his  paces." 

"I  will,  sir,"  said  John.  After  breakfast  he  came  and  fitted  me  with  a 
bridle.  He  was  very  particular  in  letting  out  and  taking  in  the  straps  to 
fit  my  head  comfortably.  He  rode  me  first  slowly,  then  a  trot,  then  a  can- 
ter, and  when  we  were  on  the  common,  we  had  a  splendid  gallop. 

As  we  came  back  through  the  woods  we  met  the  Squire  and  Mrs.  Gor- 
don out  walking.  They  stopped,  and  John  jumped  off.  "Well,  John, 
how  does  he  go?" 

"First  rate,  sir,"  answered  John.  "He's  as  fleet  as  a  deer,  and  has  a 
fine  spirit,  too;  but  the  lightest  touch  of  the  rein  will  guide  him." 

"That's  well,"  said  the  squire,  "I  will  try  him  myself  to-morrow." 

The  next  day  I  was  brought  up  for  my  master.  I  remembered  my 
mother's  counsel  and  my  good  p\d  master's,  and  I  tried  to  do  exactly 
what  my  new  master  wanted  me  to  do.  1  found  he  was  a  very  good  rider, 
and  thoughtful  for  his  horse,  too.  When  he  came  home,  the  lady  was  at 
the  hall  door  as  he  rode  up.  "Well,  my  dear,"  she  said,  "how  do  you 
like  him?" 

"He  is  exactly  what  John  said,"  he  replied;  "a  pleasanter  creature  I 
never  wish  to  mount.    What  shall  we  call  him  ?" 

She  said:  " He  is  really  quite  a  beauty,  and  he  has  such  a  sweet,  good- 
tempered  face  and  such  a  fine  intelligent  eye — what  do  you  say  to  calling 
him  'Black  Beauty'?" 

"  Black  Beauty — why,  yes,  1  think  that  is  a  very  good  name.  If  you 
like  it,  it  shall  be  his  name;"  and  so  it  was. 

John  seemed  very  proud  of  me;  he  used  to  make  my  mane  and  tail 
almost  as  smooth  as  a  lady's  hair,  and  he  would  talk  to  me  a  great  deal. 
Of  course,  I  did  not  understand  all  he  said,  but  I  learned  more  and  more 
to  know  what  he  meant  and  what  he  wanted  me  to  do.  James  Howard, 
the  stable  boy,  was  just  as  gentle  and  pleasant  in  his  way,  so  I  thought 
myself  well  off. 

A  few  days  after  this  I  had  to  go  out  with  Ginger  in  the  carriage.  I 
wondered  how  we  should  get  on  together;  but  except  laying  back  her  ears 
when  I  was  led  up  to  her,  she  behaved  very  well.  She  did  not  shirk  her 
work,  but  did  her  share  full  honestly  and  I  never  wish  to  have  a  better 
partner  in  double  harness. 


Slack  beauty 


17 


"Liberty!"— Page  18 


As  for  Merrylegs,  he  and  I  soon  became  great  friends.  He  was  such  a 
cheerful,  plucky,  good-tempered  little  fellow,  that  he  was  a  favorite  with 
every  one,  and  especially  with  Miss  Flora  and  Miss  Jessie,  who  used  to 


18  BLACK    BEAUTY 

ride  him  about  the  orchard,  and  have  fine  games  with  him  and  their  lit- 
tle dog  Frisky. 

I  was  quite  happy  in  my  new  home,  and  if  there  was  one  thing  I  missed 
it  must  not  be  thought  I  was  discontented.  All  who  had  to  do  with  me 
were  good,  and  I  had  a  light,  airy  stable  and  the  best  of  food.  What 
more  could  I  want  ?  Why,  liberty !  For  three  years  I  had  had  all  the  lib- 
erty I  could  wish  for;  but  now,  week  after  week,  month  after  month,  and 
no  doubt  year  after  year,  I  must  stand  up  in  a  stable  night  and  day  except 
when  I  was  wanted,  and  then  I  must  be  just  as  steady  and  quiet  as  any 
old  horse  who  had  worked  twenty  years.  Now  I  am  not  complaining, 
for  I  know  it  must  be  so.  I  only  mean  to  say  that  for  a  young  horse  full 
of  strength  and  spirit,  who  has  been  used  to  some  large  field  or  plain, 
where  he  can  fling  up  his  head  and  toss  up  his  tail  and  gallop  away  at  full 
speed,  then  round  and  back  again  with  a  snort  to  his  companions — I  say 
it  is  hard  never  to  have  a  bit  more  liberty  to  do  as  you  like. 


CHAPTER  V 

MERRYLEGB 


Mr.  Bloomfield,  the  vicar,  had  a  large  family  of  boys  and  girls,  and 
sometimes  they  used  to  come  and  play  with  Miss  Jessie  and  Miss  Flora. 
When  they  came,  there  was  plenty  of  work  for  Merrylegs,  for  nothing 
pleased  them  so  much  as  getting  on  him  by  turns  and  riding  him  all 
about  the  orchard  and  the  home  paddock. 

One  afternoon  he  had  been  out  with  them  a  long  time,  and  when  James 
brought  him  in  and  put  on  his  halter,  he  said:  "There,  you  rogue,  mind 
how  you  behave  yourself,  or  we  shall  get  into  trouble. " 

"What  have  you  been  doing,  Merrylegs?"  I  asked  him. 

"Oh!"  said  he,  tossing  his  little  head,  "I  have  only  been  giving  these 
young  people  a  lesson.  They  did  not  know  when  they  had  enough,  so  I 
just  pitched  them  off  backwards;  that  was  the  only  way  to  make  them 
understand. " 

"What?"  said  I,  "you  threw  the  children  off?  I  thought  you  did 
know  better  than  that !    Did  you  throw  Miss  Jessie  or  Miss  Flora  ?  "  < 

He  looked  very  much  offended  and  said;  "  Of  course  not.  I  would  not 
do  such  a  thing  for  the  best  oats  that  ever  came  into  the  stable.    Why,  I 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


19 


£^ 


"1  just  rose  up  on  my  .hind  legs  and  let  hiin  slip  off." — Page  20 

am  as  careful  of  our  young  ladies  as  the  master  could  be,  and  as  for  the 
little  ones,  it  is  I  who  teach  them  to  ride.  When  they  seem  frightened  or  a 
little  unsteady  on  my  back,  I  go  as  smooth  and  as  quiet  as  old  pussy  goes 


20  BLACK    BEAUTY 

when  she  is  after  a  bird,  and  when  they  are  all  right  I  go  on  again  taster, 
you  see,  just  to  use  them  to  it;  so  don't  you  trouble  yourself  preaching  to 
me;  I  am  the  best  friend  and  the  best  riding  master  those  children  have. 
It  is  not  them,  it  is  the  boys;  boys,"  he  said,  shaking  his  mane,  "are 
quite  different;  they  must  be  broken  in,  as  we  are  broken  in  when  we  are 
colts,  and  just  be  taught  what's  what.  The  other  children  had  ridden 
me  about  for  nearly  two  hours,  and  then  the  boys  thought  it  was  their 
turn,  and  so  it  was,  and  I  was  quite  agreeable.  They  rode  me  by  turns, 
and  I  galloped  them  about,  up  and  down  the  fields  and  all  about  the 
orchard,  for  a  good  hour.  They  had  each  cut  a  great  hazel  stick  for  a 
riding  whip,  and  laid  it  on  a  little  too  hard:  but  I  took  it  in  good  part, 
till  at  last  I  thought  we  had  had  enough,  so  I  stopped  two  or  three  times 
by  way  of  a  hint.  Boys  think  a  horse  or  pony  is  like  a  steam  engine,  and 
can  go  as  long  and  as  fast  as  they  please.  They  never  think  that  a  pony 
can  get  tired  or  have  any  feelings;  so  as  the  one  who  was  whipping  me 
could  not  understand,  I  just  rose  up  on  my  hind  legs  and  let  him  slip  off 
behind — that  was  all.  He  mounted  again,  and  I  did  the  same.  Then  the 
other  boy  got  up,  and  as  soon  as  he  began  to  use  the  stick,  I  laid  him  on 
the  grass,  and  so  on,  till  they  were  able  to  understand — that  was  all. 
They  are  not  bad  boys;  they  don't  wish  to  be  cruel.  I  like  them  very 
well,  but,  you  see,  I  had  to  give  them  a  lesson.  When  they  brought  me 
to  James  and  told  him,  I  think  he  was  very  angry  to  see  such  big  sticks. 
He  said  they  were  not  for  young  gentlemen. " 

"If  I  had  been  you,"  said  Ginger,  "I  would  have  given  those  boys  a 
good  kick,  and  that  would  have  given  them  a  lesson. " 

"No  doubt  you  would,"  said  Merrylegs;  "but  then  I  am  not  quite 
such  a  fool  as  to  anger  our  master  or  make  James  ashamed  of  me;  then, 
besides,  those  children  are  under  my  charge  when  they  are  riding.  I  tell 
you  they  are  entrusted  to  me.  Why,  only  the  other  day  I  heard  our  mas- 
ter say  to  Mrs.  Bloomfield,  'My  dear  madam,  you  needn't  be  anxious 
about  the  children;  my  old  Merrylegs  will  take  as  much  care  of  them  as 
you  or  I  could.  I  assure  you  I  would  not  sell  that  pony  for  any  money,  he 
is  so  perfectly  good-tempered  and  trust- worthy. '  Do  you  think  I  am 
such  an  ungrateful  brute  as  to  forget  all  the  kind  treatment  I  have  had 
here  for  five  years,  and  all  the  trust  they  place  in  me,  and  turn  vicious, 
because  a  couple  of  ignorant  boys  use  me  badly  ?  No,  no!  you  never  had 
a  good  place  where  they  were  kind  to  you,  and  so  you  don't  know,  and  I 
am  sorry  for  you;  but  I  can  tell  you  good  places  make  good  horses.    I 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


21 


.«  "V. 


jf\ 


<"S<* 


.•-v.', 


jv»y;,  *™  s?1- 


'Sawyer,"  he  cried  in  a  stem  voice,  "is  that  pony  made  of  flesh  and  blood?" — Page  a.1 


22  BLACK    BEAUTY 

wouldn't  vex  our  people  for  anything;  I  love  them,  I  do,"  said  Merry- 
legs,  and  he  gave  a  low  "ho,  ho,  ho,"  through  his  nose,  as  he  used  to  do 
'ia.  the  morning  when  he  heard  James'  foosteps  at  the  door. 

The  longer  I  lived  at  Birtwick,  the  prouder  and  happier  I  felt  at 
having  such  a  home.  Our  master  and  mistress  were  beloved  by  all 
who  knew  them.  They  were  good  and  kind  to  everybody  and  every- 
thing. There  was  no  oppressed  or  ill-used  creature  that  had  not  a  true 
friend  in  them,  and  their  servants  took  the  same  tone. 

I  remember  my  master  was  riding  me  toward  home  one  morning, 
when  he  saw  a  powerful  man  driving  toward  us  in  a  light  pony  chaise, 
with  a  beautiful  little  bay  pony.  Just  as  he  came  to  the  park  gates, 
the  little  thing  turned  toward  them;  the  man,  without  a  word  of  warn- 
ing, wrenched  the  creature's  head  round  with  such  force  and  sudden- 
ness that  he  nearly  threw  it  on  its  haunches.  Recovering  itself,  it  was 
going  on,  when  he  began  to  lash  it  furiously.  The  pony  plunged  for- 
ward, but  the  strong,  heavy  hand  held  the  pretty  creature  back  with 
force  almost  enough  to  break  its  jaw,  while  the  whip  still  cut  into  him. 
It  was  a  dreadful  sight  to  me,  for  I  knew  what  fearful  pain  it  gave  that 
delicate  little  mouth;  but  master  gave  me  the  word,  and  we  were  up 
with  him  in  a  second. 

"Sawyer,"  he  cried  in  a  stern  voice,  "is  that  pony  made  of  flesh 
and  blood  ?" 

"Flesh  and  blood  and  temper,"  he  said;  "he's  too  fond  of  his  own 
will,  and  that  don't  suit  me. " 

"And  do  you  think,"  said  master  sternly,  "that  treatment  like  this 
will  make  him  fond  of  your  will  ?" 

"He  had  no  business  to  make  that  turn;  his  road  was  straight  on!" 
said  the  man  roughly. 

"You  have  often  driven  that  pony  up  to  my  place,"  said  master;  "it 
only  shows  the  creature's  memory  and  intelligence;  how  did  he  know 
that  you  were  not  going  there  again  ?  But  that  has  little  to  do  with 
it.  I  must  say,  Sawyer,  that  more  brutal  treatment  of  a  little  pony, 
it  was  never  my  painful  lot  to  witness. "  Master  rode  me  home  slowly, 
and  I  could  tell  by  his  voice  how  the  thing  had  grieved  him. 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


'Now,  John,"  he  said,  "ride  for  your  life."— 


24  BLACK    BEAUTY 

CHAPTER  VI 

GOING     FOR    THE     DOCTOR 

One  night  I  was  lying  down  in  my  straw  fast  asleep,  when  I  was  sud- 
denly roused  by  the  stable  bell  ringing  very  loud.  I  heard  the  door  of 
John's  house  open,  and  the  sound  of  his  feet  running  up  to  the  Hall.  He 
was  back  again  in  no  time.  He  unlocked  the  stable  door,  and  came  in, 
calling  out,  "Wake  up,  Black  Beauty!  You  must  go  well  now,  if  ever 
you  did;"  and  almost  before  I  could  think,  he  had  got  the  saddle  on  my 
back  and  the  bridle  on  my  head.  He  just  ran  around  for  his  coat,  and 
then  took  me  at  a  quick  trot  up  to  the  Hall  door.  The  squire  stood  there, 
with  a  lighted  lamp  in  his  hand.  "Now,  John,"  he  said,  "ride  for  you 
life — that  is  for  your  mistress' life;  there  is  not  a  moment  to  lose.  Give 
this  note  to  Doctor  White;  give  your  horse  a  rest  at  the  inn,  and  be  back 
as  soon  as  vou  can." 

John  said,  "  Yes,  sir, "  and  was  on  my  back  in  a  minute.  The  garden- 
er who  lived  at  the  lodge  was  ready  with  the  gate  open,  for  he  had  heard 
the  bell,  and  out  we  went  and  away  through  the  park  and  through  the 
village  and  down  the  hill. 

There  was  before  us  a  long  piece  of  level  road  by  the  side  of  the  river. 
John  said  to  me,  "Now,  Beauty,  do  your  best,"  and  so  I  did.  I  wanted 
no  whip  nor  spur,  and  for  two  miles  I  galloped  as  fast  as  I  could  lay  my 
feet  to  the  ground.  I  don't  believe  my  old  grandfather,  who  won  the 
race  at  Newmarket,  could  have  gone  any  faster.  When  we  drew  up  at 
Doctor  White's  door,  the  church  clock  was  just  striking  three.  John 
rang  the  bell  twice,  and  then  knocked  at  the  door  like  thunder.  A  win- 
dow was  thrown  up,  and  the  doctor  put  his  head  out  and  asked,  "What 
do  you  want?" 

"  Mrs.  Gordon  is  very  ill,  sir,  and  master  wants  you  to  come  at  once. 
He  thinks  she  will  die  if  you  can  not  get  there.    Here  is  a  note. " 

"Wait,"  he  said,  "I  will  come  down," 

He  shut  the  window  and  was  soon  at  the  door.  "The  worst  of  it  is," 
he  said,  "that  my  horse  has  been  out  all  day,  and  is  quite  done  up;  my 
son  has  just  been  sent  for,  and  he  has  taken  the  other.  What  shall  we  do  ? 
Can  I  have  your  horse  ? " 


BLACK    BEAUTY  25 

"  He  has  come  at  a  gallop  nearly  all  the  way,  sir,  and  I  was  to  give  him 
a  rest  here;  but  I  think  my  master  would  not  be  against  it,  if  you  think 
fit,  sir. " 

"All  right,  I  will  soon  be  ready." 

John  stood  by  me  and  stroked  my  neck.  I  was  very  hot.  The  doctor 
came  out  with  his  riding  whip.  "You  need  not  take  that,  sir,"  said 
John.  "  Black  Beauty  will  go  till  he  drops.  Take  care  of  him,  sir,  if  you 
can,  I  should  not  like  any  harm  to  come  to  him. " 

"No,  no,  John,"  said  the  doctor,  "I  hope  not,"  and  in  a  minute  we 
had  left  John  far  behind. 

I  will  not  tell  about  our  way  back.  The  doctor  was  a  heavier  man  than 
John  and  not  so  good  a  rider;  however,  I  did  my  very  best.  When  we 
came  to  the  hill,  the  doctor  drew  me  in.  "Now,  my  good  fellow,"  he 
said,  "take  some  breath. "  I  was  glad  he  did  this,  for  I  was  nearly  spent, 
but  that  breathing  helped  me,  and  we  were  soon  in  the  park.  Joe  Green, 
who  was  now  the  stable  boy,  James  Howard  having  obtained  another 
situation,  was  at  the  lodge  gate;  my  master  was  at  the  Hall  door,  for  he 
had  heard  us  coming.  He  spoke  not  a  word,  and  the  doctor  went  into 
the  house  with  him,  while  Joe  led  me  to  the  stable.  I  was  glad  to  get 
home;  my  legs  shook  under  me,  and  I  could  only  stand  and  pant.  I  had 
not  a  dry  hair  on  my  body,  the  water  ran  down  my  legs,  and  I  steamed 
all  over — Joe  used  to  say,  like  a  pot  on  fire.  Poor  Joe!  he  was  young  and 
small,  and  as  yet,  he  knew  very  little,  and  his  father,  who  would  have 
helped  him,  had  been  sent  to  the  next  village;  but  I  am  sure  he  did  the 
very  best  he  knew  how.  He  rubbed  my  legs  and  chest,  but  he  did  not 
put  my  warm  blanket  on  me;  he  thought  I  was  so  hot  I  would  not  like  it. 
Then  he  gave  me  a  pailful  of  water  to  drink.  It  was  cold  and  very  good, 
and  I  drank  it  all.  Then  he  gave  me  some  hay  and  corn,  and,  thinking 
he  had  done  right,  he  went  away.  Soon  I  began  to  shake  and  tremble 
and  turned  deadly  cold.  My  legs  ached,  my  loins  ached,  and  my  chest 
ached,  and  I  felt  sore  all  over.  This  developed  into  a  strong  inflamma- 
tion, and  I  could  not  draw  a  breath  without  pain.  John  nursed  me  day 
and  night.  My  master,  too,  often  came  to  see  me.  "  My  poor  Beauty, " 
he  said  one  day,  "my  good  horse,  you  saved  your  mistress'  life,  Beauty; 
yes,  you  saved  her  life. "  I  was  very  glad  to  hear  that,  for  it  seems  the 
doctor  had  said  if  we  had  been  a  little  longer  it  would  have  been  too  late. 
John  told  my  master  he  never  saw  a  horse  go  so  fast  in  all  his  life  "  It 
seems  as  if  the  horse  really  knew  what  was  the  matter,"  he  said.     Of 


26  BLACK    BEAUTY 

course  I  did,  though  John  thought  not;  at  least  I  knew  as  much  as  this — 
that  John  and  I  must  go  at  the  top  of  our  speed,  and  that  it  was  for  the 
sake  of  our  mistress. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE     PARTING 


I  had  lived  in  this  happy  place  three  years,  but  sad  changes  were  about 
to  come  over  us.  We  heard  that  our  mistress  was  ill.  The  doctor  was 
often  at  the  house,  and  the  master  looked  grave  and  anxious.  Then  we 
heard  that  she  must  go  to  a  warm  country  for  two  or  three  years.  The 
news  fell  upon  the  household  like  the  tolling  of  a  death-bell.  Everybody 
was  sorry.  The  master  arranged  for  the  breaking  up  of  his  establish- 
ment. We  used  to  hear  it  talked  about  in  our  stable;  indeed,  nothing  else 
was  talked  about.  John  went  about  his  work,  silent  and  sad,  and  Joe 
scarcely  ever  whistled.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  coming  and  going; 
Ginger  and  I  had  full  work. 

The  first  of  the  family  to  go  were  Miss  Flora  and  Miss  Jessie  and  their 
governess.  They  came  to  bid  us  good-bye.  They  hugged  Merry-legs 
like  an  old  friend,  and  so  indeed  he  was.  Then  we  heard  what  had 
been  arranged  for  us.    Master  had  sold  Ginger  and  me  to  an  old  friend, 

the  Earl  of  W ,  for  he  thought  we  should  have  a  good  home  there. 

Merrylegs  he  had  given  to  the  vicar,  who  was  needing  a  pony  for-  Mrs. 
Bloomfield,  but  it  was  on  condition  that  he  should  never  be  sold  and  that 
when  he  was  past  work  he  should  be  shot  and  buried.  Joe  Green  was 
engaged  to  take  care  of  him  and  to  help  them  in  the  house,  so  I  thought 
that  Merrylegs  was  well  off. 

"  Have  you  decided  what  to  do,  John  ?"  asked  the  master. 

"No,  sir,  but  I  think  if  I  could  get  a  situation  with  some  first-rate 
colt-breaker  and  horse-trainer,  it  would  be  the  right  thing  for  me.  A 
great  many  young  animals  are  frightened  and  spoiled  by  wrong  treat- 
ment, which  need  not  be  if  the  right  man  took  them  in  hand.  I  always 
get  on  well  with  horses,  and  if  I  could  help  some  of  them  to  a  fair  start  I 
should  feel  as  if  I  was  doing  some  good.  What  do  you  think  of  it, 
sir? 

"I  don't  think  I  know  a  man  anywhere,"  said  master,  "that  I  should 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


27 


'Ginger  and  I  brought  the  carriage  up  to  the  Hall  door  for  the  last  time."— Page  28 


28  BLACK    BEAUTS 

think  so  suitable  for  it  as  yourself.  You  understand  horses,  and  some- 
how they  understand  you,  and  I  think  you  could  not  do  better. " 

The  last  sad  day  had  come;  the  footman  and  the  heavy  luggage  had 
gone  off  the  day  before,  and  there  were  only  master  and  mistress,  and  her 
maid.  Ginger  and  I  brought  the  carriage  up  to  the  Hall  door  for  the  last 
time.  The  servants  brought  out  cushions  and  rugs  and  when  all  were 
arranged,  master  came  down  the  steps  carrying  the  mistress  in  his  arms. 
(I  was  on  the  side  next  the  house,  and  could  see  all  that  went  on) ;  he  put 
her  carefully  in  the  carriage,  while  the  house  servants  stood  round  crying. 

"Good-bye,  again,"  he  said;  "we  shall  not  forget  any  of  you,"  and  he 
got  in.  "Drive  on,  John."  Joe  jumped  up,  and  we  trotted  slowly 
through  the  park  and  through  the  village,  where  the  people  were  standing 
at  their  doors  to  have  a  last  look  and  to  say,  "  God  bless  them. " 

AVhen  we  reached  the  railway  station,  I  think  mistress  walked  from 
the  carriage  to  the  waiting  room.  I  heard  her  say  in  her  own  sweet  voice, 
"  Good-bye,  John.  God  bless  you. "  I  felt  the  rein  twitch,  but  John 
made  no  answer;  perhaps  he  could  not  speak.  As  soon  as  Joe  had  taken 
the  things  out  of  the  carriage,  John  called  him  to  stand  by  the  horses, 
while  he  went  on  the  platform.  Poor  Joe!  he  stood  close  up  to  our  heads 
to  hide  his  tears.  Very  soon  the  train  came  puffing  up  into  the  station; 
then  two  or  three  minutes,  and  the  doors  were  slammed  to;  the  guard 
whistled,  and  the  train  glided  away,  leaving  behind  it  only  clouds  of 
white  smoke  and  some  very  heavy  hearts. 

When  it  was  quite  out  of  sight,  John  came  back.  "  We  shall  never  see 
her  again, "  he  said — "  never. "  He  took  the  reins,  mounted  the  box,  and 
with  Joe  drove  slowly  home;  but  it  was  not  our  home  now. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A    STRIKE    FOR    LIBERTY 


The  next  morning  after  breakfast,  Joe  put  Merrylegs  into  the  mis- 
tress' low  chaise  to  take  him  to  the  vicarage.  He  came  first  and  said 
good-bye  to  me  and  to  Ginger,  and  Merrylegs  neighed  from  the  yard. 
Then  John  put  the  saddle  on  Ginger  and  the  leading  rein  on  me,  and 

took  us  across  the  country  to  Earlshall  Park,  where  the  Earl  of  W 

lived.    There  was  a  very  fine  house  and  a  great  deal  of  stabling.    We 


BLACK    BEAUTY  29 

Went  into  the  yard  through  a  stone  gateway,  and  John  asked  for  Mr. 
York.  It  was  sometime  before  he  came.  He  was  a  fine  looking,  middle- 
aged  man,  and  his  voice  said  at  once  that  he  expected  to  be  obeyed.  He 
was  very  friendly  and  polite  to  John,  and  after  giving  us  a  slight  look,  he 
called  a  groom  to  take  us  to  our  boxes,  and  invited  John  to  take  some 
refreshment. 

We  were  taken  to  a  light,  airy  stable,  and  placed  in  boxes  adjoining 
each  other,  where  we  were  rubbed  down  and  fed.  In  about  half  an  hour 
John  and  York,  who  was  to  be  our  new  coachman,  came  in  to  see  us. 

"Now,  Manly,"  he  said,  after  carefully  looking  at  us  both,  "I  can't 
see  any  fault  in  these  horses;  but  we  all  know  that  horses  have  their  pecu- 
liarities as  well  as  men,  and  that  sometimes  they  need  different  treat- 
ment. I  should  like  to  know  if  there  is  anything  particular  in  either  of 
these  that  you  would  like  to  mention." 

"  Well, "  said  John,  "  I  don't  believe  there  is  a  bef  ter  pair  of  horses  in 
the  country,  and  right  grieved  I  am  to  part  with  them,  but  they  are  not 
alike.  The  black  one  is  the  most  perfect  temper  I  ever  knew;  but  the 
chestnut,  I  fancy,  must  have  had  bad  treatment.  She  came  to  us  snappish 
and  suspicious,  but  when  she  found  what  sort  of  a  place  ours  was,  it  all 
went  off  by  degrees.  But  she  has  naturally  a  more  irritable  constitution 
than  the  black  horse,  and  if  she  were  ill-used  or  unfairly  treated  she 
would  not  be  unlikely  to  give  tit  for  tat.  You  know  that  high-mettled 
horses  will  do  that." 

"Of  course,"  said  York,  "I  quite  understand;  but  you  know  it  is  not 
easy  in  stables  like  these  to  have  all  the  grooms  just  what  they  should  be. 
I  do  my  best,  and  there  I  must  leave  it.  I'll  remember  what  you  have 
said  about  the  mare." 

-They  were  going  out  of  the  stable,  when  John  stopped  and  said,  "I 
had  better  mention  that  we  have  never  used  the  check-rein  with  either  of 
them;  the  black  horse  never  had  one  on,  and  the  dealer  said  it  was  the 
gag-bit  that  spoiled  the  other's  temper." 

"Well,"  said  York,  "if  they  come  here,  they  must  wear  the  check- 
rein.  I  prefer  a  loose  rein  myself,  and  his  lordship  is  always  very  reason- 
able about  horses;  but  my  lady — that's  another  thing;  she  will  have  style, 
and  if  her  carriage  horses  are  not  reined  up  tight  she  wouldn't  look  at 
them.  I  always  stand  out  against  the  gag-bit,  and  shall  do  so,  but  it 
must  be  tight  up  when  my  lady  rides. " 

The  next  day  Lord  W came  to  look  at  us.    He  seemed  to  be  much 


30  BLACK    BEADTY 

pleased  with  our  appearance.  "  I  have  great  confidence  in  these  horses, " 
he  said,  "from  the  character  my  friend  Gordon  has  given  me  of  them.  Of 
course,  they  are  not  a  match  in  color,  but  my  idea  is  that  they  will  do 
very  well  for  the  carriage  while  we  are  in  the  country.  Before  we  go  to 
London  I  must  try  to  match  Baron;  the  black  horse,  I  believe,  is  perfect 
for  riding." 

York  then  told  him  what  John  had  said  about  us. 

"  Well, "  said  he,  "you  must  keep  an  eye  to  the  mare,  and  put  the  check 
rein  easy.  I  dare  say  they  will  do  very  well  with  a  little  humoring  at 
first.    I'll  mention  it  to  your  lady." 

In  the  afternoon  we  were  harnessed  and  put  in  the  carriage  and  led 
round  to  the  front  of  the  house.  It  was  all  very  grand,  and  three  times 
as  large  as  the  old  house  at  Birtwick,  but  not  half  so  pleasant,  if  a  horse 
may  have  an  opinion.  Presently  we  heard  the  rustling  sound  of  silk  as 
my  lady  came  down  the  flight  of  stone  steps.  She  stepped  round  to  look 
at  us.  She  was  a  tall,  proud  looking  woman,  and  did  not  seem  pleased 
about  something,  but  she  said  nothing,  and  got  into  the  carriage. 

The  next  day  we  were  again  at  the  door.  We  heard  the  silk  dress  rus- 
tle, and  the  lady  came  down  the  steps,  and  in  an  imperious  voice,  said, 
"  York,  you  must  put  those  horses'  heads  higher;  they  are  not  fit  to  be 
seen. " 

York  got  down,  and  said  very  respectfully,  "I  beg  your  pardon,  my 
lady,  but  these  horses  have  not  been  reined  up  for  three  years,  and  my 
lord  said  it  would  be  safer  to  bring  them  to  it  by  degrees;  but,  if  your 
ladyship  pleases,  I  can  take  them  up  a  little  more. " 

"Do  so,"  she  said. 

Day  by  day,  hole  by  hole,  our  bearing  reins  were  shortened,  and  soon, 
instead  of  looking  forward  with  pleasure  to  having  my  harness  put  on,  as 
I  used  to  do,  I  began  to  dread  it.  Ginger,  too,  seemed  restless,  though 
she  said  very  little. 

One  day  my  lady  came  down  later  than  usual,  and  the  silk  rustled 

more  than  ever.    "  Drive  to  the  Duchess  of  B 's, "  she  said,  and  then, 

after  a  pause,  "  Are  you  never  going  to  get  those  horses'  heads  up,  York  ? 
Raise  then  at  once,  and  let  us  have  no  more  of  this  humoring  nonsense. " 

York  came  to  me  first.  He  drew  back  my  head  and  fixed  the  rein  so 
tight  that  it  was  almost  intolerable;  then  he  went  to  Ginger.  The  min- 
ute York  took  the  rein  in  order  to  shorten  it,  she  took  her  opportunity, 
and  reared  so  suddenly  that  York  had  his  nose  roughly  hit  and  his  hat 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


31 


^■f.  y**~ 


V-?fSr. 


'  My  young  mistress  was  sitting  easily  with  a  loose  rein." —  Page  33 


32  BLACK    BEAUTY 

knocked  off,  while  the  groom  was  nearly  thrown  off  his  legs.  At  once 
they  both  flew  to  her  head,  but  she  was  a  match  for  them,  and  went  on 
plunging  and  rearing  and  kicking  in  a  most  desperate  manner.  At  last 
she  kicked  right  over  the  carriage  pole  and  fell  down,  after  giving  me  a 
severe  blow  on  my  near  quarter.  There  is  no  knowing  what  further  mis- 
chief she  might  have  done,  had  not  York  sat  himself  down  flat  on  her 
head  to  prevent  her  struggles.  The  groom  soon  set  me  free  from  Ginger 
and  the  carriage,  and  led  me  to  my  box. 

Before  long,  Ginger  was  led  in  by  two  grooms,  a  good  deal  knocked 
about  and  bruised.  York  came  with  her  and  gave  his  orders,  and  then 
came  to  look  at  me.  He  felt  me  all  over,  and  soon  found  the  place  above 
my  hock  where  I  had  been  kicked.  It  was  swollen  and  painful.  He 
ordered  it  to  be  sponged  with  hot  water,  and  then  a  lotion  was  put  on. 

Ginger  was  never  put  into  the  carriage  again,  but  when  she  was  well  of 

her  bruises  one  of  Lord  W 's  sons  said  he  should  like  to  have  her;  he 

was  sure  she  would  make  a  good  hunter.  As  for  me,  I  was  obliged  still 
to  go  in  the  carriage,  and  had  a  fresh  partner  called  Max,  who  had  always 
been  used  to  a  tight  rein. 

What  I  suffered  with  that  rein  for  four  long  months  in  my  lady's  car- 
riage would  be  hard  to  describe;  but  I  am  quite  sure  that,  had  it  lasted 
much  longer,  either  my  health  or  my  temper  would  have  given  way. 
Before  that  I  never  knew  what  it  was  to  foam  at  the  mouth,  but  now  the 
action  of  the  sharp  bit  on  my  tongue  and  jaw  and  the  constrained  posi- 
tion of  my  head  and  throat  always  caused  me  to  froth  at  the  mouth  more 
or   less. 


CHAPTER  IX 

A    RUNAWAY    HORSE 


Early  in  the  spring,  Lord  W and  part  of  his  family  went  up  to 

London,  and  took  York  with  them.  Ginger  and  I  and  some  other  horses 
were  left  at  home  for  use,  and  the  head  groom  was  left  in  charge. 

The  Lady  Harriet,  who  remained  at  the  Hall,  was  a  great  invalid,  and 
never  went  out  in  the  carriage,  and  the  Lady  Anne  preferred  riding  on 
horseback  with  her  brother  or  cousins.  She  was  a  perfect  horsewoman, 
and  as  gay  and  gentle  as  she  was  beautiful.  She  chose  me  for  her  horse, 
and  named  me  Black  Auster.    I  enjoyed  these  rides  very  much. 


BLACK    BEAUT*  33 

There  was  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Blantyre  staying  at  the  Hall. 
He  always  rode  a  bright  bay  mare  named  Lizzie,  and  praised  her  so 
much  that  one  day  Lady  Anne  ordered  the  side-saddle  put  on  her  and 
the  other  on  me.  When  we  came  to  the  door,  the  gentleman  seemed  very 
uneasy.  "How  is  this?"  he  said.  "Are  you  tired  of  your  good  Black 
Auster?" 

"Oh,  no,  not  at  all,"  she  replied,  "but  I  am  amiable  enough  to  let 
you  ride  him  for  once,  and  I  will  try  your  charming  Lizzie.  You  must 
confess  that  in  size  and  appearance  she  is  far  more  like  a  lady's  horse 
than  my  own  favorite. " 

"Do  let  me  advise  you  not  to  moimt  her,"  he  said;  "she  is  a  charming 
creature,  but  she  is  too  nervous  for  a  lady.  I  assure  you,  she  is  not  per- 
fectly safe;  let  me  beg  of  you  to  have  the  saddles  changed. " 

"My  dear  cousin,"  said  Lady  Anne,  laughing,  "pray  do  not  trouble 
your  good  careful  head  about  me.  I  have  been  a  horsewoman  ever  since 
I  was  a  baby,  and  have  followed  the  hounds  a  great  many  times,  and  I 
intend  to  try  this  Lizzie  that  you  are  so  fond  of;  so  please  help  me  to 
mount. " 

There  was  nothing  more  to  be  said.  Just  as  we  were  moving  off  a 
footman  came  out  with  a  slip  of  paper  and  a  message  from  the  lady  Har- 
riet. "Would  they  ask  this  question  for  her  at  Doctor  Ashley's^  and 
bring  the  answer?" 

We  went  gayly  along  till  we  came  to  Doctor  Ashley's  gate.  There 
Blantyre  alighted  and  was  going  to  open  the  gate  for  Lady  Anne,  but  she 
said,  "I  will  wait  for  you  here,  and  you  can  hang  Auster's  rein  on  the 
gate. " 

He  hung  my  rein  on  one  of  the  iron  spikes,  and  was  soon  hidden 
among  the  trees.  Lizzie  was  standing  quietly  by  the  side  of  the  road  a 
few  paces  off,  with  her  back  to  me.  My  young  mistress  was  sitting  easily 
with  a  loose  rein.  There  was  a  meadow  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road, 
the  gate  of  which  stood  open.  Just  then,  some  cart  horses  and  several 
young  colts  came  trotting  out  in  a  very  disorderly  manner,  while  a  boy 
behind  was  cracking  a  great  whip.  The  colts  were  wild  and  frolicsome, 
and  one  of  them  bolted  across  the  road  and  blundered  up  against  Liz- 
zie's hind  legs,  and  she  gave  a  violent  kick  and  dashed  off  into  a  head- 
long gallop.  It  was  so  sudden  that  Lady  Anne  was  nearly  unseated,  but 
she  soon  recovered  herself.  Blantyre  came  running  to  the  gate.  He 
looked  anxiously  about,  and  just  caught  sight  of  the  flying  figure,  now 


34  BLACK    BEAUTY 

far  away  on  the  road.    In  an  instant  he  sprang  to  the  saddle,  and,  giving 
me  free  rein  dashed  after  them. 

For  about  a  mile  the  road  ran  straight,  and  then  bent  to  the  right, 
after  which  it  divided  into  two  roads.  Long  before  we  came  to  the  bend, 
she  was  out  of  sight.  Which  way  had  she  turned  ?  A  woman  was  stand- 
ing at  her  garden  gate,  and  looking  eagerly  up  the  road.  Blantyre 
shouted,  "Which  way?1"  "To  the  right!"  cried  the  woman,  and  away 
we  went  up  the  right-hand  road;  then  for  a  moment  we  caught  sight  of 
her;  another  bend  and  she  was  hidden  again.  Several  times  we  caught 
glimpses  and  then  lost  them.  An  old  road  mender  was  standing  near 
a  heap  of  stones.  As  we  came  near  he  made  a  sign  to  speak.  Blantyre 
drew  the  rein  a  little.  "To  the  common,  to  the  common,  sir;  she  has 
turned  off  there." 

We  had  hardly  turned  on  to  the  common,  when  we  caught  sight  of  the 
green  habit  flying  on  before  us.  My  lady's  hat  was  gone,  and  her  long 
brown  hair  was  streaming  behind  her.  The  roughness  of  the  ground  had 
very  much  lessened  Lizzie's  speed,  and  there  seemed  a  chance  that  we 
might  overtake  her. 

About  half-way  across  the  heath  there  had  been  a  wide  dike  recently 
cut,  and  the  earth  from  the  cutting  was  cast  up  roughly  on  the  other  side. 
Surely  this  would  stop  them !  But  no,  with  scarcely  a  pause,  Lizzie  took 
the  leap,  stumbled  among  the  rough  clods,  and  fell.  Blantyre  groaned. 
"Now,  Auster,  do  your  best,"  he  cried.  He  gave  me  a  steady  rein.  I 
gathered  myself  well  together,  and  with  one  leap  cleared  both  dike  and 
bank. 

Motionless  among  the  heather,  with  her  face  to  the  earth,  lay  my  poor 
young  mistress.  Blantyre  kneeled  down  and  called  her  name;  there  was 
no  sound.  Gently  he  turned  her  face  upward;  it  was  ghastly  white  and 
the  eyes  were  closed.  He  unbuttoned  her  habit,  loosened  her  collar,  felt 
her  hand  and  wrist,  then  started  up  and  looked  wildly  round  him  for 
help. 

At  no  great  distance  there  were  two  men  cutting  turf,  who,  seeing  Liz- 
zie running  wild  without  a  rider,  had  left  their  work  to  catch  her.    Blan- 
tyre's  hallo  soon  brought  them  to  the  spot.    The  foremost  man  asked 
what  he  could  do. 
"Can  you  ride?" 

"  Well,  sir,  I  bean't  much  of  a  horseman,  but  I'd  risk  my  neck  for  Lady 
Anne;  she  was  uncommon  good  to  my  wife  in  the  winter. " 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


35 


"Away  we  went  up  the  right-hand  road." — Page! 


"  Then  mount  this  horse,  my  friend — your  neck  will  be  perfectly  safe — 
and  ride  to  the  doctor's,  and  ask  him  to  come  instantly.  Then  on  to  the 
Hall.  Tell  them  all  that  you  know,  and  bid  them  send  me  the  carriage 
with  Lady  Anne's  maid  and  help.    I  shall  stay  here." 


36  BLACK    BEAUTY 

"  All  right,  sir,  Tli  do  my  best,  and  pray  God  the  dear  young  lady  may 
open  her  eyes  soon. " 

With  these  words  he  scrambled  somehow  into  the  saddle,  and  with  a 
"Gee  up,"  and  a  clap  on  my  sides  with  both  his  legs,  he  started  on  his 
journey.  I  shook  him  as  little  as  I  could,  but  once  or  twice  on  the  rough 
ground  he  called  out,  "Steady,  Woah!  Steady!" 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  hurry  and  excitenent  after  the  news  became 
known.  Ginger  was  saddled  and  sent  off  in  great  haste  for  Lord  George. 
It  seemed  a  long  time  before  Ginger  came  back,  and  we  were  left  alone 
She  then  told  me  all  that  she  had  seen. 

"  We  went  at  a  gallop  nearly  all  the  way,"  she  said,  "and  got  there  just 
as  the  doctor  rode  up.  There  was  a  woman  sitting  on  the  ground  with 
Lady  Anne's  head  in  her  lap.  The  doctor  poured  something  into  her 
mouth,  but  all  that  I  heard  was,  'She  is  not  dead. '  After  a  while  she  was 
taken  to  the  carriage,  and  we  came  home  together.  I  heard  my  master 
tell  a  gentleman  who  stopped  him  to  inquire,  that  he  hoped  no  bones 
were  broken,  but  she  had  not  spoken  yet. " 

Two  days  after  the  accident,  Blantyre  paid  me  a  visit.  He  patted  and 
praised  me  very  much,  and  told  Lord  George  that  he  was  sure  I  knew  of 
Anne's  danger  as  well  as  he  did.  "I  could  not  have  held  him  in  if  I 
would,  "  he  said.  "  She  ought  never  to  ride  any  other  horse. "  I  found  out 
by  their  conversation  that  my  young  mistress  was  now  out  of  danger  and 
would  soon  be  able  to  ride  again.  This  was  good  news  to  me,  and  I 
looked  forward  to  a  happy  life. 


CHAPTER  X 

REUBEN    SMITH 


I  must  now  say  a  little  about  Reuben  Smith,  who  was  left  in  charge  of 
the  stables  when  York  went  to  London.  No  one  more  thoroughly  under- 
stood his  business  than  he  did,  and  when  he  was  all  right  there  could  not 
be  a  more  faithful  or  valuable  man.  I  believe  everybody  liked  him; 
certainly  the  horses  did.  The  only  wonder  was  that  he  should  be  in  a 
under  situation,  and  not  in  the  place  of  a  head  coachman  like  York;  but 
he  had  one  great  fault,  and  that  was  love  of  drink. 

Colonel  Blantyre  was  obliged  to  return  to  his  regiment,  and  it  was 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


3? 


'With  scarcely  a  pause,  Lizzie  took  the  leap."— Page  34 


38  BLACK    BEAUTY 

arranged  that  Smith  should  drive  him  to  town  and  ride  back.  For  this 
purpose  he  took  a  saddle  with  him,  and  I  was  chosen  for  the  journey.  At 
the  station  the  Colonel  put  some  money  into  Smith's  hand  and  bade  him 
good-bye,  saying,  "Take  care  of  your  young  mistress,  Reuben,  and  do 
not  let  Black  Auster  be  hacked  about  by  any  ramdon  young  prig  that 
wants  to  ride  him — keep  him  for  the  lady. " 

We  left  the  carriage  at  the  maker's,  and  Smith  rode  me  to  the  White 
Lion,  and  ordered  the  ostler  to  feed  me  well,  and  have  me  ready  for  him 
at  four  o'clock.  A  nail  in  one  of  my  front  shoes  had  started  as  I  came 
along,  but  the  ostler  did  not  notice  it  till  just  about  four  o'clock.  Smith 
came  into  the  yard  at  five,  and  said  he  should  not  leave  till  six,  as  he  had 
met  some  old  friends.  The  man  told  him  of  the  nail,  and  asked  if  he 
should  have  the  shoe  looked  to.  "No,"  said  Smith,  "that  will  be  all 
right  till  we  get  home. " 

He  did  not  come  at  six.  It  was  nearly  nine  o'clock  before  he  called  for 
me,  and  then  it  was  in  a  very  loud,  rough  voice.  Almost  before  he  was 
out  of  the  town  he  began  to  gallop.  The  roads  were  stony  and  going 
over  them  at  this  pace,  my  shoe  came  loose,  and  when  we  were  near  the 
turnpike  gate,  it  came  off. 

Beyond  the  turnpike  gate  was  a  long  piece  of  road  upon  which  fresh 
stones  had  just  been  laid — large,  sharp  stones,  over  which  no  horse 
could  be  driven  quickly  without  risk  of  danger.  Over  this  road,  with 
one  shoe  gone,  I  was  forced  to  gallop  at  my  utmost  speed.  This  could 
not  go  on;  no  horse  could  keep  his  footing  under  such  circumstances;  the 
pain  was  too  great.  I  stumbled  and  fell  with  violence  on  both  my  knees. 
Smith  was  flung  off  by  my  fall,  and,  owing  to  the  speed  at  which  I  was 
going,  he  must  have  fallen  with  great  force.  I  soon  recovered  my  feet 
and  limped  to  the  side  of  the  road,  where  it  was  free  from  stones.  The 
moon  had  just  risen  above  the  hedge,  and  by  its  light  I  could  see  Smith 
lying  a  few  yards  beyond  me.  He  did  not  rise;  he  made  one  slight  effort 
to  do  so,  and  then  there  was  a  heavy  groan.  I  uttered  no  sound,  but  I 
stood  there  and  listened.  One  more  heavy  groan  from  Smith,  but  though 
he  now  lay  in  the  moonlight,  I  could  see  no  motion.  The  road  was  not 
much  frequented,  and  at  this  time  of  the  night  we  might  stay  for  hours 
before  help  came  to  us.  It  must  have  been  nearly  midnight  when  I  at 
last  heard  the  sound  of  horses's  feet.  As  the  sound  came  nearer  I  was 
sure  I  could  distinguish  Ginger's  step.  I  neighed  loudly,  and  was  over- 
joyed to  hear  an  answering  neigh  from  Ginger  and  men's  voices.    They 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


39 


''■■\ t': 


"I  stood  there  and  listened." — Page  38 

came  slowly  over  the  stones  and  stopped  at  the  dark  figure  that  lay  on 
the  ground.  One  of  the  men  jumped  out  and  stooped  down  over  it. 
"It  is  Reuben,"  he  said,  "and  he  does  not  stir." 

They  raised  him  up,  but  there  was  no  life,  and  his  hair  was  soaked 
with  blood.  They  laid  him  down  again,  and  came  and  looked  at  me. 
They  soon  saw  my  cut  knees. 

Robert  then  attempted  to  lead  me  forward.  I  made  a  step,  but  almost 
fell  again.    "  Hallo !  he's  bad  in  his  foot  as  well  as  his  knees.    Look  here — ■ 


40  BLACK    BEAUTY 

his  hoof  is  all  cut  to  pieces;  he  might  well  come  down,  poor  fellow!  I 
tell  you  what,  Ned,  I'm  afraid  it  hasn't  been  all  right  with  Reuben. " 

The  next  day,  after  the  farrier  had  examined  my  wounds,  he  said  he 
hoped  the  joint  was  not  injured;  and,  if  so,  I  should  not  be  spoiled  for 
work,  but  I  should  never  lose  the  blemish.  I  believe  they  did  their  best 
to  make  a  good  cure,  but  it  was  a  long  and  painful  one. 

As  soon  as  my  knees-  were  sufficiently  healed  I  was  turned  into  a  small 
meadow  for  a  month  or  two.  No  other  creatures  were  there  and  though 
I  enjoyed  the  liberty  and  the  sweet  grass,  yet  I  had  been  so  long  used  to 
society  that  I  felt  lonely.  Ginger  and  I  had  become  fast  friends,  and  now 
I  missed  her  company  extremely.  I  often  neighed  when  I  heard  horses 
passing  in  the  road,  but  I  seldom  got  an  answer;  till  one  morning  the 
gate  was  opened,  and  who  should  I  see  coming  in  but  dear  old  Ginger. 
The  man  slipped  off  her  halter  and  left  her  there.  With  a  joyful  whinny 
I  trotted  up  to  her;  we  were  both  glad  to  meet,  but  I  soon  found  that  it 
was  not  for  our  pleasure  that  she  was  brought  to  be  with  me.  Her  story 
would  be  too  long  to  tell,  but  the  end  of  it  was  that  she  had  been  ruined 
by  hard  riding,  and  was  now  turned  off  to  see  what  rest  would  do. 

One  day  we  saw  the  earl  come  into  the  meadow,  and  York  was  with 
him.  They  examined  us  both  carefully.  The  earl  seemed  much  annoyed 
at  the  result. 

"There  is  three  hundred  pounds  flung  away  for  no  earthly  use,"  he 
said;  "but  what  I  care  most  for  is  that  these  horses  of  my  old  friend,  who 
thought  they  would  find  a  good  home  with  me,  are  ruined.  The  mare 
shall  have  a  twelvemonths'  run,  and  we  shall  see  what  that  will  do  for 
her;  but  the  black  one  must  be  sold.  'Tis  a  great  pity,  but  I  could  not 
have  knees  like  these  in  my  stable." 

"No,  my  lord,  of  course  not."  said  York;  "but  he  might  get  a  place 
where  appearance  is  not  of  much  consequence,  and  still  be  well  treated. " 

"They'll  soon  take  you  away,"  said  Ginger,  "and  I  shall  lose  the  only 
friend  I  have,  and  most  likely  we  shall  never  see  each  other  again.  'Tis 
a  hard  world!" 

About  a  week  after  this,  Robert  came  into  the  field  with  a  halter, 
which  he  slipped  over  my  head,  and  then  led  me  away. 


BLACK    BEAUTY  41 

CHAPTER  XI 

A     HORSE     FAIR 

No  doubt  a  horse  fair  is  a  very  amusing  place  to  those  who  have  noth- 
ing to  lose;  at  any  rate,  there  is  plenty  to  see. 

Long  strings  of  young  horses  out  of  the  country,  fresh  from  the  marshes 
and  droves  of  shaggy  Welsh  ponies,  no  higher  than  Merrylegs;  and  hun- 
dreds of  cart  horses  of  all  sorts,  some  of  them  with  their  long  tails  braided 
up  and  tied  with  a  scarlet  cord;  and  a  good  many  like  myself,  handsome 
and  high-bred,  but  fallen  into  the  middle  class,  through  some  accident  or 
blemish,  unsoundness  of  wind,  or  some  other  complaint.  There  were 
some  splendid  animals  quite  in  their  prime,  and  fit  for  anything.  They 
were  throwing  out  their  legs  and  showing  off  their  paces  in  high  style,  as 
they  were  trotted  out  with  a  leading  rein,  the  groom  running  by  their 
side.  But  round  in  the  background  there  were  a  number  of  poor  things, 
sadly  broken  down  with  hard  work,  with  their  knees  knuckling  over  and 
their  hind  legs  swinging  out  at  every  step;  and  there  were  some  very 
dejected  looking  old  horses,  with  the  under  lip  hanging  down  and  the  ears 
lying  back  heavily,  as  if  there  was  no  more  pleasure  in  life  and  no  more 
hope.  There  were  some  so  thin  you  might  see  all  their  ribs  and  some  s» 
covered  with  sores  on  their  backs  and  hips,  that  they  were  dreadful  to 
look  at.  These  were  sad  sights  for  a  horse  to  look  upon,  for  who  knows 
but  he  may  some  time  come  to  the  same  state. 

I  was  put  with  some  useful  looking  horses,  and  a  good  many  people 
came  to  look  at  us.  The  gentlemen  always  turned  from  me  when  the 
saw  my  broken  knee;  though  the  man  who  had  me  swore  it  was  only  a 
slip  in  the  stall. 

The  first  thing  was  to  pull  my  mouth  open,  then  to  look  at  my  eyes, 
then  feel  all  the  way  down  my  legs  and  give  me  a  hard  feel  of  the  skin 
and  flesh,  and  then  try  my  paces.  It  was  wonderful  what  a  dif- 
ference there  was  in  the  way  this  was  done.  Some  did  it  in  a  rough,  off- 
hand way,  as  if  one  were  a  only  piece  of  wood;  while  others  would  take 
their  hands  gently  over  one's  body,  with  a  pat  now  and  then,  as  much  as 
to  say,  "By  yoUr  leave. "  Of  course,  I  judged  a  good  deal  of  the  buyers 
by  their  manners  to  myself." 


42  BLACK    BEAUTY 

There  was  one  man,  I  thought  if  he  would  buy  me,  I  should  be  happy. 
He  was  not  a  rich  gentleman.  He  was  rather  a  small  man,  but  well- 
made,  and  quick  in  all  his  motions.  I  knew  in  a  moment,  by  the  way  he 
handled  me,  that  he  was  used  to  horses.  He  spoke  gently  and  his  gray 
eye  had  a  kindly,  cheery  look  in  it.  It  may  seem  strange  to  say — but  it  is 
true  all  the  same — that  the  clean,  fresh  smell  there  was  about  him  made 
me  take  to  him.  There  was  no  smell  of  old  beer  and  tobacco,  which  I 
hated,  but  a  fresh  smell  as  if  he  had  come  out  of  a  hayloft.  He  offered 
twenty-three  pounds  for  me,  but  that  was  refused,  and  he  walked  away. 
I  looked  after  him,  but  he  was  gone,  and  a  very  hard-looking,  loud-voiced 
man  came.  I  was  dreadfully  afraid  he  would  have  me,  but  he  walked  off. 
One  or  two  more,  who  did  not  mean  business  came  and  looked  at  me. 
Then  the  hard-faced  man  came  back  again  and  offered  twenty-three 
pounds.  A  close  bargain  was  being  driven,  for  my  salesman  began  to 
think  he  should  not  get  all  he  asked,  and  must  come  down;  but  just  then 
the  gray-eyed  man  came  back  again.  I  could  not  help  reaching  out  my 
head  toward  him.  He  stroked  my  face  kindly.  "Well,  old  chap,"  he 
said,  "I  think  we  should  suit  each  other.  I'll  give  twenty-four  pounds 
for  him. " 

"  Say  twenty-five,  and  you  shall  have  him. " 

"Twenty-four,"  said  my  friend,  in  a  very  decided  tone,  "and  not 
another  sixpence— is  it  yes  or  no  ?" 

"Done,"  said  the  salesman;  "and  you  may  depend  upon  it  there's  a 
monstrous  deal  of  quality  in  that  horse,  and  if  you  want  him  for  cab 
work  he's  a  bargain." 

The  money  was  paid  on  the  spot,  and  my  new  master  took  my  halter, 
and  led  me  out  of  the  fair  to  an  inn,  where  he  had  a  saddle  and  bridle 
ready.  He  gave  me  a  good  feed  of  oats,  and  stood  by  while  I  ate  it,  talk- 
ing to  himself  and  talking  to  me.  Half  an  hour  after,  we  were  on  our 
way  to  London,  through  pleasant  lanes  and  country  roads,  until  we 
came  into  the  great  thoroughfare,  on  which  we  traveled  steadily,  till  in 
the  twilight  we  reached  the  great  city.  The  gas  lamps  were  already 
lighted;  there  were  streets  and  streets  crossing  each  other,  for  mile  upon 
mile.  I  thought  we  should  never  come  to  the  end  of  them.  At  last,  in 
.passing  through  one,  we  came  to  a  long  cab  stand,  when  my  rider  called 
out  in  a  cheery  voice,  "Good  night,  Governor!" 

"Hallo!"  cried  a  voice.    "Have  you  got  a  good  one?" 

"I  think  so,"  replied  my  owner. 


BLACK     BEAUTY 


43 


c-{"? 


Z-<<.^^^x^^-"  ' 


"They  were  showing  off  their  paces  in  high  style."— Page  41 


44  BLACK    BEAUTY 

"I  wish  you  luck  with  him." 

"  Thank  you,  Governor, "  and  he  rode  on.  We  soon  turned  up  one 
of  the  side-streets,  and  about  half-way  up  that  we  turned  into  a  very  nar- 
row street,  with  rather  poor-looking  houses  on  one  side,  and  what  seemed 
to  be  coach-houses  and  stables  on  the  other. 

My  owner  pulled  up  at  one  of  the  houses  and  whistled.  The  door  was 
opened,  and  a  young  woman,  followed  by  a  little  girl  and  boy,  ran  out. 
There  was  a  very  lively  greeting  as  my  rider  dismounted.  "Now,  then, 
Harry,  my  boy,  open  the  gates,  and  mother  will  bring  us  the  lantern. " 

The  next  minute  they  were  all  around  me  in  the  stable  yard.  "Is  he 
gentle,  father?"  "Yes,  Dolly,  as  gentle  as  your  own  kitten;  come  and 
pat  him. "  At  once  the  little  hand  was  patting  about  all  over  my  shoulder 
without  fear.    How  good  it  felt! 

"Let  me  get  him  a  bran  mash  while  you  rub  him  down,"  said  the 
mother.  "Do,  Polly,  it's  just  what  he  wants;  and  I  know  you've  got  a 
beautiful  mash  ready  for  me. "    . 

I  was  led  into  a  comfortable,  clean-smelling  stall  with  plenty  of  dry 
straw,  and  after  a  capital  supper,  I  lay  down,  thinking  I  was  going  to 
be  happy. 


CHAPTER  XII 

A    LONDON    CAB     HORSE 


My  new  master's  name  was  Jeremiah  Barker,  but  as  every  one  called 
him  Jerry,  I  shall  have  to  do  the  same.  Polly,  his  wife,  was  just  as  good 
a  match  as  a  man  could  have.  She  was  a  plump,  tidy  little  body,  with 
smooth,  dark  hair,  dark  eyes,  and  a  merry  little  mouth.  The  boy  was 
nearly  twelve  years  old,  a  tall,  frank,  good-tempered  lad;  and  little  Doro- 
thy (Dolly  they  called  her)  was  her  mother  over  again,  at  eight  years  old. 
They  were  all  wonderfully  fond  of  one  another.  I  never  knew  such  a 
happy,  merry  family  before  or  since.  Jerry  had  a  cab  of  his  own,  and  two 
horses,  which  he  drove  and  attended  to  himself.  His  other  horse  was  a 
tall,  white,  rather  large-boned  animal,  called  Captain.  He  was  old  now, 
but  when  he  was  young  he  must  have  been  splendid;  he  had  still  a  proud 
way  of  holding  his  head  and  arching  his  neck;  in  fact  he  was  a  high-bred, 
fine  mannered,  noble  old  horse,  every  inch  of  him.    He  told  me  that  in 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


45 


"Half  an  hour  after  we  were  on  our  way  to  London" — Page  42 


his  early  youth  he  went  to  the  Crimean  War;  he  belonged  to  an  officer  in 
the  cavalry,  and  used  to  lead  a  regiment. 

The  next  morning,  when  I  was  well  groomed,  Polly  and  Dolly  came 
into  the  yard  to  see  me  and  make  friends.  Harry  had  been  helping  his 
father  since  the  early  morning,  and  had  stated  his  opinion  that  I  should 
turn  out  "  a  regular  brick. "  Polly  brought  me  a  slice  of  apple,  and  Dolly 
a  piece  of  bread,  and  made  as  much  of  me  as  if  I  had  been  the  Black 
Beauty  of  olden  time.    It  was  a  great  treat  to  be  petted  again  and  talked 


46  BLACK    BEAUTY 

to  in  a  gentle  voice,  and  I  let  them  see  as  well  as  I  could  that  I  wished  to 
be  friendly.  Polly  thought  I  was  very  handsome,  and  a  great  deal  too 
good  for  a  cab,  if  it  was  not  for  the  broken  knees. 

"Of  course,  there's  no  one  to  tell  us  whose  fault  that  was,"  said  Jerry, 
"and  as  long  as  I  don't  know,  I  shall  give  him  the  benefit  of  the  doubt; 
for  a  firmer,  neater  stepper  I  never  rode.  We'll  call  him  Jack,  after  the 
old  one — shall  we,  Polly  ?  " 

"Do, "  she  said,  " for  I  like  to  keep  a  good  name  going. " 

Captain  went  out  in  the  cab  all  the  monring.  Harry  came  in  after 
school  to  feed  me  and  give  me  water.  In  the  afternoon  I  was  put  into  the 
cab.  Jerry  took  as  much  pains  to  see  if  the  collar  and  bridle  fitted  com- 
fortably as  if  he  had  been  John  Manly  over  again.  When  the  crupper 
was  let  out  a  hole  or  two,  it  fitted  well.  There  was  no  check  rein,  no 
curb  rein,  nothing  but  a  plain  ring  snaffle.    What  a  blessing  that  was! 

After  driving  through  the  side-street  we  came  to  the  large  cab  stand 
where  Jerry  had  said  "Good-night."  On  one  side  of  this  wide  street 
were  high  houses  with  wonderful  shops,  and  on  the  other  was  an  old 
church  and  churchyard,  surrounded  by  iron  palisades.  Alongside  these 
iron  rails  a  number  of  cabs  were  drawn  up,  waiting  for  passengers.  Bits 
of  hay  were  lying  about  on  the  ground;  some  of  the  men  were  standing 
together  talking;  some  were  sitting  on  their  boxes  reading  the  newspaper; 
and  one  or  two  were  feeding  their  horses  with  bits  of  hay,  and  giving 
them  a  drink  of  water.  We  pulled  up  in  the  rank  at  the  back  of  the  last 
cab.  Two  or  three  men  came  round  and  began  to  look  at  me  and  pass 
remarks. 

"Very  good  for  a  funeral,"  said  one. 

"Too  smart  looking,"  said  another,  shaking  his  head  in  a  very  wise 
way.  "You'll  find  out  something  wrong  one  of  these  fine  mornings,  or 
my  name  isn't  Jones. " 

"Well,"  said  Jerry,  pleasantly,  "I  suppose  I  need  not  find  it  out  till  it 
finds  me  out,  eh  ?    And  if  so,  I'll  keep  up  my  spirits  a  little  longer. " 

Then  there  came  up  a  broad-faced  man,  dressed  in  a  great  gray  coat 
with  great  gray  capes  and  great  white  buttons,  a  gray  hat,  and  a  blue 
muffler  loosely  tied  around  his  neck.  His  hair  was  gray,  too;  but  he  was 
a  jolly-looking  fellow,  and  the  other  men  made  way  for  him.  He  looked 
me  all  over,  as  if  he  had  been  going  to  buy  me;  and  then,  straightening 
himself  up  with  a  grunt,  he  said,  "He's  the  right  sort  for  you,  Jerry;  I 
don't  care  what  you  gave  for  him,  he'll  be  worth  it. "    Thus  my  character 


BLACK    BEAUTY  47 

was  established  on  the  stand.  This  man's  name  was  Grant,  but  he  was 
called  "Gray  Grant,"  or  "Governor  Grant."  He  had  been  the  longest 
on  the  stand  of  any  of  the  men,  and  he  took  it  upon  himself  to  settle  mat- 
ters and  stop  disputes. 

The  first  week  of  my  life  as  a  cab  horse  was  very  trying.  I  had  never 
been  used  to  London,  and  the  noise  and  smoke,  the  crowds  of  horses, 
carts,  and  carriages  that  I  had  to  make  my  way  through,  made  me  feel 
anxious  arid  harassed;  but  I  soon  found  that  I  could  perfectly  trust  my 
driver,  and  then  I  made  myself  easy,  and  got  used  to  it. 

Jerry  was  as  good  a  driver  as  I  had  ever  knowrn;  and  what  was  better, 
he  took  as  much  thought  for  his  horses  as  he  did  for  himself  He  soon 
found  out  that  I  was  willing  to  work  and  do  my  best,  and  he  never  laid 
the  whip  on  me,  unless  it  wras  gently  drawing  the  end  of  it  over  my  back, 
when  I  was  to  go  on ;  but  generally  I  knew  this  quite  well  by  the  way  in 
which  he  took  up  the  reins,  and  I  believe  his  whip  was  **iore  frequently 
stuck  up  by  his  side  than  in  his  hand. 

In  a  short  "time  my  master  and  I  understood  each  other,  as  well  as 
horse  and  man  can  do.  In  the  stable,  too,  he  did  all  he  could  for  our  com- 
fort. The  stalls  wrere  the  old-fashioned  style,  too  much  on  the  slope;  but 
he  had  two  movable  bars  fixed  across  the  back  of  our  stalls,  so  that  at 
night,  wber  we  were  resting,  he  just  took  off  our  halters  and  put  up  the 
bars,  and  thus  we  could  turn  about  and  stand  whichever  way  we  wished. 

Jerry  kept  us  very  clean,  and  gave  us  as  much  change  of  food  as  he 
could,  and  always  plenty  of  it;  and  not  only  that,  but  he  always  gave  us 
plenty  of  clean  fresh  water,  which  he  allowed  to  stand  by  us  both  day 
and  night,  except,  of  course,  when  we  came  in  warm.  Some  people  say 
a  horse  ought  not  to  drink  all  he  likes;  but  I  know  if  we  are  allowed  to 
drink  when  we  want  it,  we  drink  only  a  little  at  a  time,  and  it  does  us  a 
great  deal  more  good  than  swallowing  down  half  a  bucketful  at  a  time, 
because  we  have  been  left  without  it  till  we  are  thirsty  and  miserable. 
Some  grooms  will  go  home  to  their  beer  and  leave  us  for  hours  with  our 
dry  hay  and  oats  and  nothing  to  moisten  them.  Then,  of  course,  we 
gulp  down  too  much  at  once,  which  helps  to  spoil  our  breathing  and 
sometimes  chills  our  stomachs.  But  the  best  thing  that  we  had  here  was 
our  Sunday  rest;  for  we  worked  so  hard  in  the  week  that  I  do  not  think 
we  could  have  kept  up  to  it,  but  for  that  day;  besides,  we  had  then  time 
to  enjoy  each  other's  company. 


48  BLACK     BEAUTY 


CHAPTER  XIII 

DOLLY    AND    A    REAL    GENTLEMAN 

The  winter  came  early,  with  a  great  deal  of  cold  and  wet.  There  was 
snow,  sleet,  or  rain,  almost  every  day  for  weeks,  changing  only  for  keen, 
driving  winds  or  sharp  frosts.  The  horses  all  felt  it  very  much.  When 
it  is  a  dry  cold,  a  couple  of  good  thick  rugs  will  keep  the  warmth  in  us,  but 
when  it  is  a  soaking  rain,  they  soon  get  wet  through  and  are  no  good. 
Some  of  the  drivers  had  a  waterproof  cover  to  throw  over,  which  was  a 
fine  thing;  but  some  of  the  men  were  so  poor  that  they  could  not  protect 
either  themselves  or  their  horses,  and  many  of  them  suffered  very  much 
that  winter.  When  we  horses  had  worked  half  a  day  we  went  to  our  dry 
stable  and  could  rest;  while  they  had  to  sit  on  their  boxes,  sometimes 
staying  out  as  late  as  one  or  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  if  they  had  a  pary 
to  wait  for. 

When  the  streets  were  slippery  with  frost  or  snow,  that  was  the  worst 
of  all  for  us  horses.  One  mile  of  such  traveling  with  a  weight  to  draw 
and  no  firm  footing,  would  take  more  out  of  us  than  four  on  a  good  road ; 
every  nerve  and  muscle  of  our  bodies  is  on  the  strain  to  keep  our  balance; 
and,  added  to  this,  the  fear  of  falling  is  more  exhausting  than  anything 
else.  If  the  roads  are  very  bad  indeed,  our  shoes  are  roughed,  but  that 
makes  us  feel  nervous  at  first. 

One  cold  windy  day,  Dolly  brought  Jerry  a  basin  of  something  hot, 
and  was  standing  by  him  while  he  ate  it.  He  had  scarcely  begun,  when 
a  gentleman,  walking  toward  us  very  fast,  held  up  his  umbrella.  Jerry 
touched  his  hat  in  return,  gave  the  basin  to  Dolly,  and  was  taking  off  my 
cloth,  when  the  gentleman,  hastening  up,  cried  out,  "  No,  no,  finish  you^ 
soup,  my  friend :  I  have  not  much  time  to  spare,  but  I  can  wait  till  you 
have  done,  and  have  set  your  little  girl  safe  on  the  pavement. " 

So  saying,  he  seated  himself  in  the  cab.  Jerry  thanked  him  kindly, 
and  came  back  to  Dolly.  "There,  Dolly,  that's  a  gentleman;  that's  a 
real  gentleman,  Dolly;  he  has  got  time  and  thought  for  the  comfort  of  a 
poor  cabman  and  his  little  girl." 

Jerry  finished  his  soup,  set  the  child  across,  and  then  took  his  orders 
to  drive  to  Clapham  Rise.    Several  times  after  that,  the  same  gentleman 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


49 


"With  rein  and  whip  he  punished  them  brutally."  —  Page  SO 

took  our  cab.  I  think  he  was  very  fond  of  dogs  and  horses,  for  whenever 
we  took  him  to  his  own  door,  two  or  three  dogs  would  come  bounding 
out  to  meet  him.  Sometimes  he  came  round  and  patted  me,  saying  in 
his  quiet,  pleasant  way:    "This  horse  has  got  a  good  master  and  he 


50  BLACK    BEAUTY 

deserves  it. "  It  was  a  very  rare  thing  for  any  one  to  notice  the  horse  that 
had  been  working  for  him.  I  have  known  ladies  to  do  so  now  and  then, 
and  this  gentleman,  and  one  or  two  others  have  given  me  a  pat  and  a 
kind  word;  but  ninety-nine  out  of  a  hundred  would  as  soon  think  of  pat- 
ting the  steam  engine  that  drew  the  train. 

One  day,  he  and  another  gentleman  took  our  cab.    They  stopped  at  a 

shop  in  R Street,  and  while  his  friend  went  in,  he  stood  at  the  door. 

A  little  ahead  of. us  on  the  other  side  of  the  street,  a  cart  with  two  very 
fine  horses  was  standing  before  some  wine  vaults;  the  carter  was  not 
with  them,  and  I  can  not  tell  how  long  they  had  been  standing;  but  they 
seemed  to  think  that  they  had  waited  long  enough  and  began  to  move  off. 

Before  they  had  gone  many  paces,  the  carter  came  running  out  and 
caught  them.  He  seemed  furious  at  their  having  moved,  and  with  rein 
and  whip  punished  them  brutally,  even  beating  them  about  the  head. 
Our  gentleman  saw  it  all,  and  stepping  quickly  across  the  street,  said 
in  a  decided  voice:  "If  you  don't  stop  that  directly,  I'll  have  you  arrested 
for  leaving  your  horses,  and  for  brutal  conduct. " 

The  man,  who  had  clearly  been  drinking,  poured  forth  some  abusive 
language,  but  he  left  off  knocking  the  horses  about,  and  taking  the  reins, 
got  into  his  cart,  while  our  friend,  meantime,  had  taken  a  notebook  from 
his  pocket,  and  looking  at  the  name  and  address  painted  on  the  cart,  he 
wrote  down  something." 

"  What  do  you  want  with  that  ?  "  growled  the  carter,  as  he  was  mov- 
ing on.    A  nod  and  a  grim  smile  was  the  only  answer  he  got. 

On  returning  to  the  cab,  our  friend  was  joined  by  his  companion,  who 
said  laughingly,  "  I  should  have  thought,  Wright,  you  had  enough  busi- 
ness of  your  own  to  look  after,  without  troubling  yourself  about  other 
people's  horses  and  servants." 

Our  friend  stood  still  for  a  moment,  and  throwing  his  head  a  little 
back,  said,  "  Do  you  know  why  this  world  is  as  bad  as  it  is  ?  " 

"No,"  said  the  other. 

"Then  I'll  tell  you.  It  is  because  people  think  only  about  their  own 
business,  and  won't  trouble  themselves  to  stand  up  for  the  oppressed,  nor 
bring  the  wrong-doer  to  light.  I  never  see  a  wicked  thing  like  this  with- 
out doing  what  I  can,  and  many  a  master  has  thanked  me  for  letting  him 
know  how  his  horses  have  been  used." 

"I  wish  there  were  more  gentlemen  like  you,  sir,"  said  Jerry,  "for 
they  are  wanted  badly  enough  in  this  city. " 


BLACK    BEAUTY  51 

CHAPTER  XIV 

POOR    GINGER 

One  day,  while  our  cab  and  many  others  were  waiting  outside  one  of 
the  parks  where  music  was  playing,  a  shabby  old  cab  drove  up  beside 
ours.  The  horse  was  an  old  worn-out  chestnut,  with  an  ill-kept  coat, 
and  bones  that  showed  plainly  through  it,  the  knees  knuckled  over,  and 
the  fore  legs  were  very  unsteady.  I  had  been  eating  some  hay  and  the 
wind  rolled  a  little  lock  of  it  that  way,  and  the  poor  creature  put  out  her 
long  thin  neck  and  picked  it  up,  and  then  turned  round  and  looked  for 
more.  There  was  a  hopeless  look  in  the  dull  eye  that  I  could  not  help 
noticing,  and  then,  as  I  was  thinking  where  I  had  seen  that  horse  before, 
she  looked  me  full  in  the  face,  and  said,  "  Black  Beauty,  is  that  you  ?  " 

It  was  Ginger,  but  how  changed!  The  beautifully  arched  and  glossy 
neck  was  now  straight,  and  lank,  and  fallen  in;  the  clean,  straight  legs 
and  delicate  fetlocks  were  swelled;  the  joints  were  grown  out  of  shape 
with  hard  work ;  the  face,  that  was  once  so  full  of  spirit  and  life,  was  now 
full  of  suffering,  and  I  could  tell  by  the  heaving  of  her  sides  and  her  fre- 
quent cough  how  bad  her  breath  was. 

Our  drivers  were  standing  together  a  little  way  off,  so  I  sidled  up  to  her 
a  step  or  two  that  we  might  have  a  quiet  little  talk.  It  was  a  sad  tale  she 
had  to  tell. 

After  a  twelve  months'  run  off  at  Earlshall,  she  was  considered  to  be 
fit  for  work  again,  and  was  sold  to  a  gentleman.  For  a  little  while  she 
got  on  very  well,  but  after  a  longer  gallop  than  usual,  the  old  strain  came 
back,  and  after  being  rested  and  doctored  she  was  again  sold.  In  this 
way  she  changed  hands  several  times,  but  always  getting  lower  down. 

"And  so,  at  last,"  said  she,  "I  was  bought  by  a  man  who  keeps  a  lot 
of  cabs  ancT  horses,  and  lets  th«m  out.  You  look  well  off,  and  I  am  glad 
of  it,  but  I  could  not  tell  you  what  my  life  has  been.  When  they  found 
out  my  weakness,  they  said  I  was  not  worth  what  they  gave  for  me,  and 
that  I  must  go  into  one  of  the  low  cabs,  and  just  be  used  up;  that  is  what 
they  are  doing,  whipping  and  working  with  never  a  thought  of  what  I 
suffer — they  paid  for  me,  and  must  get  it  out  of  me,  they  say.  The  man 
who  lures  me  now  pays  a  deal  of  money  to  my  owner  every  day,  and  so 


52  BLACK    BEAUTY 

he  has  to  get  it  out  of  me,  too,  and  so  it's  all  the  week  round  and  round, 
with  never  a  Sunday  to  rest." 

"I  said,  "You  used  to  stand  up  for  yourself  if  you  were  ill-used." 

"Ah!"  she  said,  "I  did  once,  but  it's  no  use;  men  are  strongest,  and 
if  they  are  cruel  and  have  no  feeling,  there  is  nothing  that  we  can  do  but 
just  bear  it  on  and  on  to  the  end.  I  wish  the  end  was  come,  I  wish  I  was 
dead.     I  have  seen  dead  horses,  and  I  am  sure  they  do  not  suffer  pain. " 

I  was  very  much  troubled,  and  put  my  nose  up  to  hers,  but  I  could 
say  nothing  to  comfort  her.  I  think  she  was  pleased  to  see  me,  for  she 
said,  "You  are  the  only  friend  I  ever  had." 

Just  then  her  driver  came  up,  and  with  a  tug  at  her  mouth,  backed  her 
out  of  the  line  and  drove  off,  leaving  me  very  sad  indeed. 

A  short  time  after  this,  a  cart  with  a  dead  horse  in  it  passed  our  cab 
stand.  The  head  hung  out  of  the  cart  tail,  the  lifeless  tongue  was  slowly 
dropping  with  blood;  and  the  sunken  eyes!  but  I  can't  speak  of  them, 
the  sight  was  too  dreadful!  It  was  a  chestnut  horse,  with  a  long,  thin 
neck.  I  saw  a  white  streak  down  the  forehead.  I  believe  it  was  Ginger; 
I  hoped  it  was,  for  then  her  troubles  would  be  over.  Oh,  if  men  were 
more  merciful,  they  would  shoot  us  before  we  came  to  such  misery. 


CHAPTER  XV 

jerry's  new  year 


Christmas  and  the  New  Year  are  very  merry  times  for  some  people; 
but  for  cabmen  and  cabmen's  horses  it  is  no  holiday,  though  it  may  be  a 
harvest.  There  are  so  many  parties,  balls,  and  places  of  amusement 
open  that  the  work  is  hard  and  often  late.  Sometimes  driver  and  horse 
have  to  wait  for  hours  in  the  rain  or  frost,  shivering  with  cold,  while  the 
merry  people  within  are  dancing  away  to  the  music. 

On  the  evening  of  the  New  Year,  Jerry  and  I  were  kept  waiting  in  a 
sharp,  driving  sleet  for  two  gentlemen,  at  a  house  in  one  of  the  West  End 
squares,  from  eleven  until  a  quarter  past  one. 

It  was  late  the  next  morning  before  any  one  came  into  the  stable,  and 
then  it  was  only  Harry.  At  noon  he  came  again;  this  time  Dolly  was 
with  him.  She  was  crying,  and  I  could  gather  from  what  they  said 
that  Jerry  was  dangerously  ill. 


BLACK    BEAUTY  53 

Jerry  got  better,  but  the  doctor  said  he  must  never  go  back  to  the  cab 
work  again  if  he  wished  to  be  an  old  man.  It  was  settled  that  as  soon  as 
he  was  well  enough,  they  should  remove  to  the  country,  and  that  the 
cab  and  horses  should  be  sold  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  was  sold  to  a  corn  dealer  and  baker,  whom  Jerry  knew,  and  with 
him  he  thought  I  should  have  good  food  and  fair  work.  In  the  first  he 
was  quite  right,  and  if  my  master  had  always  been  on  the  premises,  I  do 
not  think  I  should  have  been  overloaded,  but  there  was  a  foreman  who 
was  always  hurrying  and  driving  every  one,  and  frequently  when  I  had 
quite  a  full  load,  he  would  order  something  else  to  be  taken  on.  My 
carter,  whose  name  was  Jakes,  like  the  other  carters,  always  had  the 
check-rein  up,  which  prevented  me  from  drawing  easily,  and  by  the 
time  I  had  been  there  three  or  four  months,  I  found  the  work  telling 
very  much  on  my  strength. 

One  day,  I  was  loaded  more  than  usual,  and  part  of  the  road  was  a 
steep  uphill.  I  used  all  my  strength,  but  I  could  not  get  on,  and  was 
obliged  continually  to  stop.  This  did  not  please  my  driver,  and  he  was 
flogging  me  cruelly  when  a  lady  stepped  quickly  up  to  him,  and  said  in 
a  sweet,  earnest  voice: 

"Oh,  pray  do  not  whip  your  good  horse  any  more;  I  am  sure  he  is 
doing  all  he  can,  and  the  road  is  very  steep.  I  am  sure  he  is  doing  his 
best." 

"If  doing  his  best  won't  get  this  load  up,  he  must  do  something  more 
than  his  best;  that's  all  I  know,  ma'am,  said  Jakes." 

He  was  just  raising  his  whip  again,  when  the  lady  said: 

"Pray,  stop;  I  think  I  can  help  you  if  you  will  let  me.  You  see  you 
do  not  give  him  a  fair  chance;  he  cannot  use  all  his  power  with  his  head 
held  back  as  it  is  with  that  check-rein;  if  you  would  take  it  off,  I  am 
sure  he  would  do  better — do  try  it,"  she  said,  persuasively. 

"Well,  well,"  said  Jakes,  with  a  short  laugh,  "anything  to  please  a 
lady,  of  course." 

The  rein  was  taken  off,  and  in  a  moment  I  put  my  head  down  to  my 
very  knees.  What  a  comfort  it  was!  Then  I  tossed  it  up  and  down 
several  times  to  get  the  aching  stiffness  out  of  my  neck. 

"Poor  fellow;  that  is  what  you  wanted,"  she  said,  patting  and  strok- 
ing me  with  her  gentle  hand;  "and  now  if  you  will  speak  kindly  to  him 
and  lead  him  on,  I  believe  he  will  be  able  to  do  better." 

Jakes  took  the  reins.     "  Come  on,  Blackie, "  he  said.     I  put  down  my 


54  BLACK    BEAUTY 

head,  and  threw  my  whole  weight  against  the  collar.  I  spared  no 
strength;  the  load  moved  on,  and  I  pulled  it  steadily  up  the  hill,  and 
then  stopped  to  take  breath. 

The  lady  had  walked  along  the  footpath,  and  now  came  across  into 
the  road.  She  stroked  and  patted  my  neck,  as  I  had  not  been  patted 
for  many  a  long  day. 

"You  see  he  was  quite  willing  when  you  gave  him  a  chance;  I  am  sure 
he  is  a  fine-tempered  creature,  and  I  dare  say  has  known  better  days.  I 
thank  you  for  trying  my  plan  with  your  good  horse,  and  I  am  sure  you 
will  find  it  far  better  than  the  whip.  Good-day,"  and  with  another 
soft  pat  on  my  neck  she  stepped  lightly  across  the  path,  and  I  saw  her 
no  more. 

"That  was  a  real  lady,  I'll  be  bound  for  it,"  said  Jakes  to  himself; 
"she  spoke  just  as  polite  as  if  I  was  a  gentleman,  and  I'll  try  her  plan, 
uphill,  at  any  rate. "  I  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say,  that  he  let  my 
rein  out  several  holes,  and  going  uphill  after  that,  he  always  gave  me 
my  head,  but  the  heavy  loads  went  on. 

I  may  as  well  mention  here  what  I  suffered  at  this  time  from  another 
cause.  This  was  a  badly  lighted  stable.  There  was  only  one  very 
small  window  at  the  end,  and  the  consequence  was  that  the  stalls  were 
almost  dark.  Besides  the  depressing  effect  this  had  on  my  spirits,  it 
very  much  weakened  my  sight,  and  when  I  was  suddenly  brought  out 
of  the  darkness  into  the  glare  of  daylight,  it  was  very  painful  to  my  eyes. 
I  believe,  had  I  stayed  there  long,  I  should  have  become  purblind,  and 
that  would  have  been  a  great  misfortune,  for  I  have  heard  men  say 
that  a  stoneblind  horse  was  safer  to  drive  than  one  which  had  imperfect 
sight,  as  it  generally  makes  them  very  timid.  However,  I  escaped  with- 
out any  permanent  injury  to  my  sight,  and  was  sold  to  a  large  cab 
owner. 


BLACK    BEAUTY  55 

CHAPTER  XVI 

HARD    TIMES 

I  shall  never  forget  my  new  master;  he  had  black  eyes  and  a  hooked 
nose;  his  mouth  was  as  full  of  teeth  as  a  bull  dog's,  and  his  voice  was  as 
harsh  as  the  grinding  of  cart  wheels  over  gravel  stones.  His  name  was 
Nicholas  Skinner. 

Skinner  had  a  low  set  of  cabs  and  a  low  set  of  drivers ;  he  was  hard  on 
the  men,  and  the  men  were  hard  on  the  horses.  In  this  place  we  had 
no  Sunday  rest,  and  it  was  in  the  heat  of  summer. 

My  life  was  now  so  utterly  wretched  that  I  wished  I  might,  like  Gin- 
ger, drop  down  dead  at  iny  work,  and  be  out  of  my  misery,  and  one  day 
my  wish  very  nearly  came  to  pass. 

I  wenx  on  the  stands  at  eight  in  the  morning,  and  had  done  a  good 
share  of  work,  when  we  had  to  take  a  fare  to  the  railway.  A  long  train 
wa&  just  in.  As  all  the  cabs  were  soon  engaged,  ours  was  called  for. 
Inhere  was  a  party  of  four;  a  noisy,  blustering  man  with  a  lady,  a  little 
boy,  a  young  girl,  and  a  great  deal  of  luggage.  The  lady  and  boy  got 
into  the  cab,  and  while  the  man  ordered  about  the  luggage,  the  young 
girl  came  and  looked  at  me. 

"Papa,"  she  said,  "I  am  sure  this  poor  horse  can  not  take  us  and  all 
our  luggage  so  far,  he  is  so  very  weak  and  worn  out;  do  look  at  him. " 

"Nonsense,  Grace,  get  in  at  once,  and  don't  make  all  this  fuss;  a  pret- 
ty thing  it  would  be  if  a  man  of  business  had  to  examine  every  cab 
horse  before  he  hired  it.     There  get  in  and  hold  your  tongue." 

My  gentle  friend  had  to  obey;  and  box  after  box  was  dragged  up  and 
lodged  on  the  top  of  the  cab,  or  settled  by  the  side  of  the  driver.  At 
last  all  was  ready  and  he  drove  out  of  the  station. 

I  got  along  fairly  well  till  we  came  to  Ludgate  Hill,  but  there  the 
heavy  load  and  my  own  exhaustion  were  too  much.  I  was  struggling 
to  keep  on,  goaded  by  constant  chucks  of  the  rein  and  use  of  the  whip, 
when,  in  a  single  moment — I  can  not  tell  how — my  feet  slipped  from 
under  me,  and  I  fell  heavily  to  the  ground  on  my  side;  the  suddenness 
and  the  force  with  which  I  fell  seemed  to  beat  all  the  breath  out  of  my 
body.     I  heard  a  sort  of  confusion  round  me,  loud,  angry  voices,  and 


56  BLACK   BEAUTY 

the  getting  down  of  the  luggage,  but  it  was  all  a  dream.  I  can  not  tell 
how  long  I  lay  there,  but  I  found  my  life  coming  back,  and  after  one  or 
two  attempts,  I  staggered  to  my  feet,  and  was  gently  led  to  some  stables 
which  were  close  by.  In  the  evening  I  was  sufficiently  recovered  to  be 
led  back  to  Skinner's  stables.  In  the  morning  Skinner  came  with  a 
farrier  to  look  at  me.     He  examined  me  closely,  and  said: 

"This  is  a  case  of  overwork  more  than  disease.  If  you  rest  him  and 
feed  him  up,  he  may  pick  up,  and  you  may  get  more  than  his  skin  is 
worth,  at  any  rate." 

Upon  this  advice,  Skinner  gave  orders  that  I  should  be  well  fed  and 
cared  for.  Ten  days  of  perfect  rest,  plenty  of  good  oats,  hay,  bran 
mashes  with  boiled  linseed  mixed  in  them,  did  more  to  get  up  my  con- 
dition than  anything  else  could  have  done.  When  the  twelfth  day 
after  the  accident  came,  I  was  taken  to  a  sale,  a  few  miles  out  of  London. 

At  the  sale  I  found  myself  in  company  with  a  lot  of  horses — some  old, 
some  lame,  some  broken-winded. 

The  buyers  and  sellers,  too,  many  of  them,  looked  not  much  better  off 
than  the  poor  beasts  they  were  bargaining  about.  But  there  were 
others,  and  among  them  I  noticed  a  man  who  looked  like  a  gentleman 
farmer,  with  a  young  boy  by  his  side ;  he  had  a  kind  ruddy  face,  and  he 
wore  a  broad-brimmed  hat.  When  he  came  up  I  saw  his  eye  rest  on  me. 
I  still  had  a  good  mane  and  tail,  which  did  something  for  my  appearance. 

"There's  a  horse,  Willie,  that  has  known  better  days." 

"Poor  fellow  !"  said  the  boy.  "  Do  you  think,  grandpa,  he  was  ever 
a  carriage  horse?" 

"Certainly,  my  boy,"  said  the  farmer,  coming  closer,  "he  might  have 
been  anything  when  he  was  young.  Look  at  his  nostrils  and  his  ears, 
the  shape  of  his  neck  and  shoulder  ."  He  gave  me  a  pat  on  the  neck. 
I  put  out  my  nose  in  answer  to  his  kindness ;  the  boy  stroked  my  face. 

"  See  grandpa,  how  well  he  understands  kindness.  Could  you  not  buy 
him  and  make  him  young  again  as  you  did  Ladybird?" 

"My  dear  boy,  I  can't  make  all  old  horses  young;  besides  Ladybird 
was  not  so  very  old,  as  she  was  run  down  and  badly  used. " 

"  Well,  grandpa,  I  don't  believe  that  this  one  is  old ;  I  want  you  to  look 
at  his  mane  and  tail,  and  I  wish  you  would  look  into  his  mouth."  The 
old  gentleman  laughed.     "Bless  the  boy!  he  is  as  horsey  as  his  old 
grandfather." 
"But  do  look  at  his  mouth,  grandpa,  and  ask  the  price." 


BLACK    BEAUTY 


57 


-,        «. 


•j    — 


'I  was  gently  led  to  some  stables  which  were  close  by." — Page  56 


58  BLACK   BEAUTY 

The  man  who  had  brought  me  for  sale  now  put  in  his  word.  "The 
young  gentleman's  a  real  knowing  one,  sir.  Now,  the  fact  is,  this  'ere 
horse  is  just  pulled  down  with  over-work  in ,  the  cabs ;  and  I  heard 
as  how  the  vetenary  said  that  a  six  months'  run  off  would  set  him  right 
up.  I've  had  the  tending  of  him  the  past  ten  days,  and  a  gratefuller, 
pleasanter  animal  I  never  met  with,  and  'twould  be  worth  a  gentleman's 
while  to  give  a  five-pound  note  for  him,  and  let  him  have  a  chance." 

The  farmer  slowly  felt  my  legs,  which  were  much  swollen  and  strained; 
then  he  looked  at  my  mouth.  "  What  is  the  lowest  you  will  take  for 
him?"  he  asked.  "Five  pounds,  sir;  that  was  the  lowest  my  master 
told  me  to  take." 

"  'Tis  a  speculation,"  said  the  old  man,  shaking  his  head,  but  at  the 
same  time  slowly  drawing  out  his  purse,  "quite  a  speculation!  Have 
you  any  more  business  here  ?  "  he  said,  counting  the  money  into  his  hand. 

"No,  sir,  I  can  take  him  to  the  inn  for  you,  if  you  wish." 

"Do  so,  I  am  going  there  now." 

They  walked  forward  and  I  was  led  behind.  I  had  a  good  feed  at 
the  inn,  and  was  then  ridden  home  by  one  of  my  new  master's  servants. 

Mr.  Thoroughgood,  for  that  was  the  name  of  my  benefactor,  gave 
orders  that  I  should  have  hay  and  oats  every  night  and  morning,  and 
the  run  of  the  meadow  during  the  day,  and  "you,  Willie,"  said  he, 
"must  take  the  oversight  of  him;  I  give  him  in  charge  to  you." 

The  boy  was  proud  of  his  charge  and  undertook  it  in  all  seriousness. 

There  was  not  a  day  when  he  did  not  pay  me  a  visit,  often  giving  me 
a  bit  of  carrot,  or  something  good.  Sometimes  he  brought  his  grand- 
father, who  always  looked  closely  at  my  legs. 

"This  is  our  point,  Willie,"  he  would  say;  "but  he  is  improving  so 
steadily  that  I  think  we  shall  see  a  change  for  the  better  in  the  spring." 

The  perfect  rest,  the  good  food,  and  the  gentle  exercise  soon  began  to 
tell  on  my  condition.  During  the  winter  my  legs  improved  so  much 
that  I  began  to  feel  quite  young  again.  The  spring  came,  and  one  day 
Mr.  Thoroughgood  determined  that  he  would  try  me  in  the  phaeton,  and 
he  and  Willie  drove  me  a  few  miles.     I  did  my  work  with  perfect  ease. 

"He's  growing  young,  Willie;  we  must  give  him  a  little  exercise  and 
light  work  now,  and  by  midsummer  he  will  be  as  good  as  Ladybird." 

"O,  grandpa,  how  glad  I  am  that  you  bought  him." 

"So  am  I,  my  boy,  but  he  has  to  thank  you  more  than  me;  we  must 
now  be  looking  for  a  quiet,  genteel  place  for  him,  where  he  will  be  valued." 


BLACK   BEAUTY  59 


CHAPTER  XVII 

MY   LAST   HOME 

One  day,  during  this  summer,  the  groom  cleaned  and  dressed  me  with 
such  extraordinary  care  that  I  thought  some  new  change  must  be  at 
hand.  Willie  seemed  half-anxious,  half-merry,  as  he  got  into  the  chaise 
with  his  grandfather.  "If  the  ladies  take  to  him,"  said  the  old  gentle- 
man, "they'll  be  suited  and  he'll  be  suited;  we  can  but  try." 

At  the  distance  of  a  mile  or  two  from  the  village,  we  came  to  a  pretty, 
low  house,  with  a  lawn  and  shrubbery  at  the  front,  and  a  drive  up  to  the 
door.  Willie  rang  the  bell  and  asked  if  Miss  Bloomfield  or  Miss  Ellen 
was  at  home.  Yes,  they  were.  So,  while  Willie  stayed  with  me,  Mr. 
Thoroughgood  went  into  the  house.  In  about  ten  minutes  he  returned, 
followed  by  three  ladies;  one  tall,  pale  lady  wrapped  in  a  white  shawl, 
leaned  on  a  younger  lady,  with  dark  eyes  and  a  merry  face;  the  other,  a 
very  stately  looking  person,  was  Miss  Bloomfield.  They  all  came  and 
looked  at  me  and  asked  questions.  The  youngest  lady — that  was  Miss 
Ellen — took  to  me  very  much.  The  tall  lady  said  she  should  always  be 
nervous  riding  behind  a  horse  that  had  been  down  once,  as  I  might  fall 
down  again,  and  if  I  did  she  should  never  get  over  the  fright." 

"You  see,  ladies,"  said  Mr.  Thoroughgood,  "  many  firstrate-horses 
have  had  their  knees  broken  through  the  carlessness  of  their  drivers, 
without  any  fault  of  their  own,  and  from  what  I  see  of  this  horse,  I  am 
quite  sure  this  was  so  in  his  case;  but,  of  course,  I  do  not  wish  to  influ- 
ence you.  If  you  incline,  you  can  have  him  on  trial,  and  then  your 
coachman  can  see  what  he  thinks  of  him." 

"You  have  always  been  such  a  good  adviser  to  us  about  our  horses," 
said  the  stately  lady,  "that  your  recommendation  would  go  a  long  way 
with  me,  and  if  my  sister  Lavinia  sees  no  objection,  we  will  accept  your 
offer  of  a  trial  with  thanks." 

It  was  then  arranged  that  I  should  be  sent  for  the  next  day.  In  the 
morning  a  smart-looking  young  man  came  for  me.  At  first  he  looked 
pleased,  but  when  he  saw  my  knees,  he  said:  "I  didn't  think,  sir,  you 
would  have  recommended  a  blemished  horse  like  that." 

"Handsome  is  that  handsome  does,"  said  my  master,  "you  are  only 


60  BLACK   BEAUTY 

taking  him  on  trial,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  do  fairly  by  him,  young  man; 
if  he  is  not  as  safe  a  horse  as  any  you  ever  drove,  send  him  back." 

I  was  led  to  my  new  home,  placed  in  a  comfortable  stall,  fed,  and  left 
to  myself.  The  next  day,  when  my  groom  was  cleaning  my  face,  he 
said:  "That  is  just  like  the  star  that  Black  Beauty  had,  he  is  much  the 
same  height,  too;  I  wonder  where  he  is  now." 

A  little  further  on,  he  came  to  the  place  in  my  neck  where  I  was  bled, 
and  where  a  little  knot  was  left  in  the  skin.  He  almost  started,  and 
began  to  look  me  over  carefully,  talking  to  himself.  "White  star  in  the 
forehead,  one  white  foot  on  the  off  side,  this  little  knot  just  in  that 
place."  Then,  looking  at  the  middle  of  my  back — "and,  as  I  am  alive, 
there  is  that  little  patch  of  white  hair  that  John  used  to  call  'Beauty's 
threepenny  bit.'  It  must  be  Black  Beauty  !  Why,  Beauty  !  Beauty  !  do 
you  know  me?  little  Joe  Green?"  And  he  began  patting  and  patting 
me  as  if  he  was  quite  overjoyed. 

I  could  not  say  that  I  remembered  him,  but  I  put  my  nose  up  to  him 
and  tried  to  say  that  we  were  friends.     I  never  saw  a  man  so  pleased. 

"Give  you  a  fair  trial !  I  should  think  so,  indeed !  I  wonder  who  the 
rascal  was  that  broke  your  knees,  my  old  Beauty  !  You  must  have  been 
badly  served  out  somewhere;  well,  well,  it  won't  be  my  fault  if  you  don't 
have  good  times  now.     I  wish  John  Manly  was  here  to  see  you." 

In  the  afternoon  I  was  put  into  a  low  Park  chair,  and  brought  to  the 
door.  Miss  Ellen  was  going  to  try  me,  and  Green  went  with  her.  I 
soon  found  that  she  was  a  good  driver  and  she  seemed  pleased  with  my 
paces.  I  heard  Joe  telling  her  about  me,  and  that  he  was  sure  I  was 
Squire  Gordon's  old  "Black  Beauty." 

When  we  returned,  the  other  sisters  came  out  to  hear  how  I  had 
behaved  myself.  She  told  them  what  she  had  just  heard,  and  said:  "I 
shall  certainly  write  to  Mrs.  Gordon,  and  tell  her  that  her  favorite  horse 
has  come  to  us.     How  pleased  she  will  be!" 

After  this  I  was  driven  every  day  for  a  week  or  so,  and  as  I  appeared 
to  be  quite  safe,  Miss  Lavinia  at  last  ventured  out  in  the  small  close 
carriage.  After  this  it  was  quite  decided  to  keep  me,  and  call  me  by 
my  old  name  of  Black  Beauty. 

I  have  now  lived  happily  in  this  place  a  whole  year." 

THE   END 


1X6 


A  DESPERATE  ERRAND 

THE  ADVENTURE  OF  GRIZEL  COCHRANE. 

||T  Edinburgh,  almost  under  the  shadow  of  the  spire  of  St.  Giles's,  in 
the  pavement  between  that  old  cathedral  church  and  the  County 
Hall,  the  passer-by  will  mark  the  figure  of  a  heart  let  into  the 
causeway,  and  know  that  he  is  standing  on  the  "  Heart  of  Mid- 
lothian," the  site  of  the  old  Tolbooth.  That  gloomy  pile  vanished  in  the 
autumn  of  1817 ;  as  Mr.  Stevenson  says,  "the  walls  are  now  down  in  the  dust ; 
there  is  no  more  squalor  carceris  for  merry  debtors,  no  more  cage  for  the  old 
acknowledged  prison-breaker  ;  but  the  sun  and  the  wind  play  freely  over  the 
foundations  of  the  gaol  ;"  this  place,  "old  in  story  and  name-father  to  a  noble 
book."  The  author  of  that  same  "noble  book"  possessed  himself  of  some 
memorials  of  the  keep  he  had  rendered  so  famous,  securing  the  stones  of  the 
gateway,  and  the  door  with  its  ponderous  fastenings  to  decorate  the  entrance  of 
his  kitchen-court  at  Abbotsford.     And  this  is  all  that  is  left. 

But  in  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1685  the  Tolbooth  held  prisoners  enough, 
notwithstanding  the  many  gloomy  processions  that  were  from  time  to  time 
walking  to  the  axe  and  halter  in  the  Grassmarket ;  and  in  a  narrow  cell,  late 
one  August  evening,  two  persons  were  sitting  of  whom  this  story  shall  treat. 
These  two  were  Sir  John  Cochrane,  of  Ochiltree,  and  his  daughter  Grizel — here 
on  the  saddest  of  errands,  to  visit  her  father  in  prison  and  help  in  his  prepara- 
tions for  death. 

For  Sir  John,  a  stout  Whig,  had  been  one  of  the  leaders  of  Argyles 
insurrection  ;  had  been  beaten  with  his  troops  by  Lord  Ross  at  Muirdykes ; 
had  disbanded  his  handful  of  men,  and  fled  for  hiding  to  the  house  of  his 
uncle,  Mr.  Gavin  Cochrane,  of  Craigmuir  ;  had  been  informed  against  by  his 
uncle's  wife,  seized,  taken  to  Edinburgh  ;  had  been  paraded,  bound  and  bare- 
headed, through  the  streets  by  the  common  executioner  ;  and  then  on  the  3d 
of  July  flung  into  the  Tolbooth  to  await  his  trial  for  high  treason.  And  now 
the  trial,  too,  was  over,  and  Sir  John  was  condemned  to  die. 

As  he  now  sat,  with  bowed  head,  on  the  bench  of  his  cell,  it  was  not  the 
stroke  of  death  that  terrified  him  —  for  Sir  John  was  a  brave  man  —  but  tha 
parting  with  his  children,  who  would  through  his  rashness  be  left  both  orphaned 
and  penniless  (for  the  Crown  would  seize  his  goods),  and  chiefly  the  parting 
with'his  daughter,  who  had  been  his  one  comfort  in  the  dark  days  of  waiting 
for  the  King's  warrant  of  execution  to  arrive. 

Between  his    apprehension    and  his  trial    no  friend  or  kinsman   had   been 


A  DESPERATE  ERRAND.  117 

allowed  to  visit  him  ;  but  now  that  his  death  was  assured,  greater  license  had 
been  granted.  But,  anxious  to  deprive  his  enemies  of  a  chance  to  accuse  his 
sons,  he  had  sent  them  his  earnest  entreaties  and  commands  that  they  should 
abstain  from  using  this  permisson  until  the  night  before  his  execution.  They 
had  obeyed  ;  but  obedience  of  this  sort  did  not  satisfy  the  conscience  of  his 
daughter  Grizel.  On  the  very  night  of  his  condemnation  he  heard  the  key 
turn  in  his  door  ;  thinking  it  could  only  be  the  gaoler,  he  scarcely  lifted  his 
eyes  But  next  moment  a  pair  of  soft  arms  were  flung  round  his  neck,  and 
his  daughter  weeping  on  his  breast.  From  that  day  she  had  continued  to  visit 
him  ;  and  now  as  she  sat  beside  him,  staring  at  the  light  already  fading  in 
the  narrow  pane,  both  father  and  daughter  knew  that  it  was  almost  the  last  time. 

Presently  she  spoke  — 

"  And  this  message  —  tell  me  truly,  have  you  any  hope  from  it  ? " 

It  was  an  appeal  made  by  Sir  John's  father,  the  Earl  of  Dundonald,  to 
Father  Peters,  the  King's  confessor,  who  often  dictated  to  him,  as  was  well 
known,  on  matters  of  State.  But  in  the  short  time  left,  would  there  be  time 
to  press  this  appeal,  and  exert  that  influence  in  London  which  alone  could  stay 
the  death-warrant  ? 

"  There  is  no  hope  in  that  quarter,"  said  Sir  John. 

Grizel  knew  that  he  spoke  only  what  was  her  own  conviction,  and  her 
despair. 

"  Argyle  is  dead  these  three  days,"  pursued  her  father,  "and  with  him  men 
of  less  consequence  than  I.  Are  they  likely  to  spare  me — a  head  of  the  rising  ? 
Would  they  spare  any  man  now,  in  the  heat  of  their  revenge  ?" 

"Father,"  said  Grizel  suddenly,  "could  you  spare  me  from  your  side  for  a 
few  days  ? " 

Sir  John  looked  up.  He  knew  by  her  manner  that  she  had  formed  some 
plan  in  her  mind  ;  he  knew,  too,  from  her  heart,  that  nothing  but  a  chance  of 
winning  his  safety  could  take  her  from  him  now,  of  all  times. 

"  My  child,"  he  said,  "  you  are  going  to  attempt  something." 

She  nodded,  with  a  brighter  face  than  she  had  worn  for  many  days. 

"And  what  you  would  attempt,"  he  went  on,  "is  an  impossibility." 

"  Nothing  is  impossible  to  a  true  heart,"  she  said. 

"  And  who  will  help  you  ?  " 

"No  one."  She  was  standing  before  him  now,  and  in  the  twilight  he  could 
see  her  eyes  lit  up  with  hope,  her  figure  upright,  and  as  if  full  of  a  man's 
strength. 

"  My  girl,  you  will  run  into  danger  —  into  blame.  They  will  not  spare  you, 
and — do  you  know  the  characters  of  those  men  whom  you  would  have  to  sue  ?'' 

She  bent  and  kissed  him. 

"  I  am  a  Cochrane,  my  father." 

Early  next  morning,  before  the  world  was  up,  Grizel  Cochrane  was  mounted 


n8 


A  DESPERATE  ERRAND. 


on  horseback  and  riding  towards  the  border.   She  had  dressed  herself — this  girl 

of  eighteen —  as  a  young  serving-woman,  and  when  she  drew  rein  at  a  wayside 

cottage,  for  food  and  drink,  professed  herself  journeying  on  a  borrowed  horse  to 

visit  her  mother's  house,  across  the  Tweed. 

By  noon  Edinburgh  was  some  leagues  behind,  but  she  pressed  on  through 

that  day  and  most   of  the 

following  night.      On   the 

second    day  after  leaving 

Edinburgh  she  crossed  the 

Tweed,  and  came  in  safety 

to    the    home    of    an    old 

nurse,  on  the  English  side, 

four     miles     beyond     the 

town  of  Berwick. 

"  Gude     sakes  !  "    cried 

the  old  woman,  who  was 

standing    at    her    cottage 

door     and     was      rather 

astonished     to     find     the 

horsewoman     draw     rein, 

leap   to    the  ground,    and 

plant  a  kiss  on  either  cheek 

— "  Gude  sakes  !  if  it  isna 

Miss  Grizel ! " 

"  Quickly,        into      the 

house!"   commanded    her 

young  mistress  ;    "I  have 

somewhat     to      tell     that 

will  not  wait  an  hour." 

She  knew  the  old  nurse  was   to  be  trusted,  and  therefore  told   her  story  and 

her  secret.      "Even  now,"  she  said  at  the  end  of  her  story,  "the  postman  is 

riding  from  London  with  the  warrant  in  his  bag.     I  must  stop  him  and  make 

him  give  it  up  to  me,  or  my  father's  head  is  the  penalty." 

"  But    what    use   to   talk    o'  this,  when    the    postman    is  a   stout   rider,    and 

armed   to  boot  ?    How  is  a  mere  girl,  saving  your  presence,  to  do  this  at  all  ? " 

"  Look  here." 

Grizel   uurolled   a  bundle  which  she  had  brought  on  her  saddle-crutch  from 

Edinburgh  ;  it  held  a  horseman's  cloak  and  a  brace  of  pistols. 

"  Now,"  said  she,  "  where  are  the  clothes  of  Donald,  my  foster-brother  ?    He 

was  a  slight  lad  in  times  syne,  and  little  doubt  they'll  fit  me." 

For  this  was   indeed  the  brave  girl's  plan  :  —  In  those  times  the  mail   from 

London  took  eight  days  on  its  journey  to  Edinburgh  ;   by  possessing  herself  of 

the  warrant  for  her  father's  death  and  detaining  it,   she   could    count  on   the 
I 


"SHE   PULLED   OUT   THE   JUSTOLS  "    (p.   I20). 


A  DESPERATE  ERRAND.  119 

delay  of  sixteen  or  seventeen  days  at  least  before  application  could  be  made 
for  a  second,  and  that  signed  and  sent  to  the  Scotch  capital.  By  this  delay, 
time  enough  would  be  won  for  her  friends  in  London  to  use  all  their  influence 
to  quash  the  sentence. 

It  was  a  mad  scheme  ;  but,  as  she  had  said,  nothing  is  impossible  to  a  true 
heart.  She  had  possessed  herself,  too,  of  the  minutest  information  with  regard 
to  the  places  where  the  postmen  rested  on  their  journey.  One  of  these  places, 
she  knew,  was  a  small  inn  kept  by  a  widow  on  the  outskirts  of  the  little  town 
of  Belford.  There  the  man  who  received  the  bag  at  Durham  was  accustomed 
to  arrive  at  about  six  in  the  morning,  and  take  a  few  hours'  sleep  before 
going  on  with  his  journey.  And  at  Belford,  Grizel  Cochrane  had  determined 
to  meet  him. 

Taking  leave  of  her  faithful  niirse,  she  rode  southwards  again,  and,  timing 
her  pace,  drew  up  before  the  inn  at  Belford  just  an  hour  after  the  postman 
had  come  in  from  the  south  and  disposed  himself  to  sleep. 

The  mistress  of  the  inn  had  no  ostler,  so  Grizel  stabled  her  horse  with  her 
own  hands,  and  striding  into  the  inn-parlor,  demanded  food  and  drink. 

"  Sit  ye  down,  then,"  answered  the  old  woman,  "at  the  end  of  yon  table, 
for  the  best  I  have  to  give  you  is  there  already.  And  be  pleased,  my  bonny 
man,  to  make  as  little  noise  as  may  be  ;  for  there's  one  asleep  in  that  bed  that 
I  like  ill  to  disturb." 

She  pointed  to  the  victuals  on  the  board,  which  were  indeed  the  remains 
of  the  sleeping  man's  meal.  Grizel  sat  down  before  them,  considered  to  herself 
while  she  played  with  a- mouthful  or  two,  and  then  asked  — 

"  Can  I  have  a  drink  of  water  ?" 

" 'Deed,"  answered  the  hostess,  "and  are  ye  a  water-drinker?  'Tis  but  an 
ill-custom  for  a  change-house." 

"  Why,  that  I  know  ;  and  so,  when  I  put  up  at  an  inn,  'tis  my  custom  always 
to  pay  for  it  the  price  of  stronger  drink,  which  I  cannot  take." 

"Indeed — well,  that's  fairly  spoken  ;  and,  come  to  think  of  it,  'tis  but  just.' 
The  landlady  brought  a  jug  of  water  and  set  it  on  the  board. 

"  Is  the  well  where  you  got  this  water  near  at  hand  ?  "  said  Grizel,  pouring 
out  a  glass  and  sipping  at  it ;  "for  if 'tis  no  trouble  to  fetch  some  fresh  for 
me,  I  will  tell  you  this  is  rather  over-warm  and  flat.  Your  trouble  shall  be 
considered  in  the  lawing,"  added  she. 

" 'Tis  a  good  step  off,"  answered  the  dame  ;  "  but  I  cannot  refuse  to  fetch 
for  so  civil,  discreet  a  lad- — and  a  well-favored  one,  besides.  So  bide  ye  here, 
and  I'll  be  as  quick  as  I  maun.  But  for  any  sake  take  care  and  don't  meddle 
with  the  man's  pistols  there,  for  they  are  loaded,  the  both  ;  and  every  time  I 
set  eyes  on  them  they  scare  me  out  of  my  senses,  almost." 

She  took  up  a  pitcher  and  went  out  to  draw  the  water.  No  sooner  was 
Grizel  left  alone  than,  starting  up,  she  waited  for  a  moment,  listening  to  the 
footsteps  as  they  died  away  in  the  distance,  and  then  crept  swiftly  across  the 


120  A  DESPERATE  ERRAND. 

floor  to  the  place  where  the  postman  lay  asleep.  He  lay  in  one  of  those  close 
wooden  bedsteads,  like  cupboards,  which  were  then  common  in  the  houses  of 
the  poor,  and  to  this  day  may  be  seen  in  many  a  house  in  Brittany.  The  door 
of  it  was  left  half-open,  to  give  the  sleeper  air,  and  from  this  aperture  the  noise 
of  his  snoring  issued  in  a  way  that  shook  the  house. 

Nevertheless,  it  seemed  to  the  girl  that  he  must  be  awakened  by  the 
creaking  of  the  floor  under  her  light  footfall.  With  heart  in  mouth  she  stole 
up  to  the  bedstead,  and  gently  pulling  the  door  still  wider  ajar,  peeped  in,  in 
the  hope  of  seeing  the  mail-bag  and  being  able  to  pounce  upon  it. 

She  saw  it,  indeed  ;  but  to  her  dismay,  it  lay  beneath  the  shaggy  head  of 
its  guardian  —  a  giant  in  size.  The  postman  used  his  charge  as  a  pillow,  and 
had  flung  himself  so  heavily  across  it  as  to  give  not  the  faintest  hope  that 
any  one  could  pull  it  away  without  disturbing  its  keeper  from  his  nap.  Nothing 
could  be  done  now.  In  those  few  bitter  moments,  during  which  she  stood 
helplessly  looking  from  the  bag  which  contained  the  fatal  warrant  to  the 
unconscious  face  of  the  man  before  her,  Grizel  made  up  her  mind  to 
another  plan. 

She  turned  to  the  table,  caught  up  the  postman's  holsters,  and  pulled  out 
the  pistols  of  which  the  old  woman  had  professed  herself  in  such  terror. 
Quickly  drawing  and  secreting  the  charges,  she  returned  them  to  their  cases, 
with  many  an  anxious  look  over  her  shoulder  towards  the  bedstead,  and  took 
her  seat  again  at  the  foot  of  the  table. 

Hardly  had  she  done  so  when  she  heard  the  old  woman  returning  with  the 
pitcher.  Grizel  took  a  draught,  for  her  throat  felt  like  a  lime-kiln,  and  having 
settled  her  bill,  much  to  the  landlady's  satisfaction,  by  paying  for  the  water  the 
price  of  a  pot  of  beer,  prepared  to  set  off.  She  carelessly  asked  and  ascertained 
how  much  longer  the  other  guest  was  likely  to  sleep. 

"  By  the  noise  he  makes  he  intends  sleeping  till  Doomsday,"  she  said, 
laughing. 

"  Ay,  poor  man  !  his  is  a  hard  life,"  said  the  hostess;  "and  little  more  than 
half  an  hour  more  before  he  must  be  on  the  highway  again," 

Grizel  laughed  once  more,  and,  mounting  her  horse,  set  off  at  a  trot  along 
the  road  southward,  as  if  continuing  her  journey  in  that  direction. 

Hardly  had  she  got  beyond  the  town,  however,  when  turning  the  horse's 
head  she  galloped  back,  making  a  circuit  around  Belford  and  striking  into  the 
high  road  again  between  that  place  and  Berwick.  Having  gained  it,  she  walked 
the  horse  gently  on,  awaiting  the  coming  up  of  the  postman. 

Though  all  her  mind  was  now  set  on  the  enterprise  before  her,  she  could 
not  help  a  shiver  of  terror  as  she  thought  on  the  chance  of  her  tampering 
with  the  pistols  being  discovered,  and  their  loading  replaced.  But  she  had 
chosen  her  course,  and  now  she  must  go  through  with  it.  She  was  a  woman, 
after  all  ;  and  it  cannot  be  wondered  that  her  heart  began  to  beat  quickly  as 
her  ear  caught  the  sound  of  hoofs  on  the  road  behind  her,  and,  turning,  she  saw 


A   DESPERATE  ERRAND.  121 

ihe  man  on  whose  face  she  had  been  gazing  not  an  hour  before,  trotting  briskly 
towards  her — the  mail-bags  ( there  were  two  —  one  containing  the  letters  direct 


"•THAT  MAIL  I   MUST  AND  WILL  HAVE.      CHOOSE,   THEN'"   ( p.  122). 

from    London,  the  other   those  taken  up  at   the  different  post-offices  on  the 
road)  strapped  one  on  each  side  of  his  saddle  in  front,  close  to  the  holsters. 
At  the  last  moment  her  nerve  came  back,  and  as  he  drew  near  she  saluted 


122  A  DESPERATE  ERRAND. 

him  civilly  and  with  perfect  calmness,  put  her  horse  into  the  same  pace  with 
his,  and  rode  on  for  some  way  in  his  company. 

The  postman  was  a  burly,  thick-set  man,  with  a  good-humored  face.  You 
may  be  sure  that  Miss  Cochrane  inspected  it  anxiously  enough,  and  was  relieved 
to  find  that  it  did  not  contain  any  vast  amount  of  hardy  courage. 

The  man  was  well  enough  inclined  for  conversation,  too,  and  as  they  rode 
had  a  heap  of  chat,  which  it  seemed  a  pity  to  interrupt.  At  length,  however, 
when  they  were  about  half-way  between  Belford  and  Berwick,  Grizel  judged 
now  or  never  was  the  time.  Pulling  her  horse's  rein  gently  so  as  to  bring 
her  close  to  her  company,  she  said  in  a  low  but  perfectly  determined  voice  — 

"  Friend,  I  have  taken  a  fancy  for  those  mail-bags  of  yours,  and  I  must 
have  them  ;  therefore  take  my  advice,  and  deliver  them  up  quietly,  for  I  am 
provided  for  all  hazards.  I  am  mounted,  as  you  see,  on  a  fleet  horse  ;  I  carry 
fire-arms  ;  and,  moreover,  I  am  allied  with  those  who  are  stronger,  though  not 
bolder,  than  I.  You  see  that  wood,  yonder?"  she  continued,  pointing  to  one 
about  a  mile  off,  with  an  accent  and  air  meant  to  corroborate  her  bold  words. 
"  Then  take  my  advice  :  give  me  up  your  bags,  and  speed  back  the  road  you 
came  for  the  present,  nor  dare  to  approach  that  wood  for  at  least  two  or  three 
hours  to  come." 

The  postman,  whose  eyes  had  been  growing  rounder  and  rounder  during 
this  speech  from  the  stripling  beside  him,  pulled  up  and  looked  at  her  in  dumb 
amazement  for  some  moments. 

"  If,"  said  he,  as  soon  as  he  found  his  tongue,  "you  mean,  young  master,  to 
make  yourself  merry  at  my  expense,  you  are  heartily  welcome.  I  can  see  a 
joke,  I  trust,  as  well  as  another  man  ;  so  have  your  laugh  out,  and  don't 
think  I'm  one  to  take  offence  at'the  words  of  a  foolish  boy.  But  if,"  and  here 
he  whipped  a  pistol  from  his  holster  and  turned  the  muzzle  on  her  face  — 
"if  y'are  mad  enough  to  think  seriously  of  such  a  business,  then  I  am  ready 
for  you." 

They  had  come  to  a  stand  now,  in  the  middle  of  the  road  ;  and  Grizel  felt 
an  ugly  sinking  at  the  heart  as  she  looked  at  the  mouth  of  the  pistol,  now 
not  a  yard  from  her  cheek.  Nevertheless  she  answered,  very  quietly  and 
coolly — 

"  If  you  have  a  doubt,  dismiss  it ;  I  am  quite  in  earnest." 

The  postman,  with  his  hand  on  the  trigger,  hesitated. 

"  Methinks,  my  lad,  you  seem  of  an  age  when  robbing  a  garden  or  an  old 
woman's  fruit-stall  would  befit  you  better,  if  so  be  you  must  turn  thief,  than 
taking  His  Majesty's  mails  upon  his  highway  from  a  stout  and  grown  man. 
So  be  thankful,  then,  you  have  met  with  one  who  will  not  shed  blood  if  he 
can  help  it,  and  go  your  way  before  I  am  provoked  to  fire.'' 

"Sir,"  said  Grizel,  "you  are  a  worthy  man  ;  nor  am  I  fonder  of  bloodshed 
than  you  ;  but  if  you  will  not  be  persuaded,  what  shall  I  do  ?  For  I  have 
said — and  it  is  truth — that  mail  I  must  and  will  have.     Choose,  then  ;''  and 


A   DESPERATE  ERRAND  123 

with  this  she  puiied  out  a  pistol  from  under  her  cloak,  and,  cocking  it,  presented 
it  in  his  face. 

"  Nay,  then,  your  blood  be  on  your  own  head,"  cried  the  postman,  and 
raising  his  pistol  again  he  pulled  the  trigger  ;  it  flashed  in  the  pan.  Dashing 
the  weapon  to  the  ground,  he  pulled  out  the  other  in  a  moment,  and  aiming 
it  in  Grizel's  face,  fired — with  the  same  result.  In  a  furious  passion  he  flung 
down  this  pistol,  too,  sprang  from  his  horse,  and  dashed  forward  to  seize  her. 
She  dug  her  spurs  into  her  horse's  flank  and  just  eluded  his  grasp.  Meanwhile 
the  postman's  horse,  frightened  at  the  noise  and  the  struggle,  had  moved 
forward  a  pace  or  two.  The  girl  saw  her  opportunity,  and  seized  it  in  the  same 
instant.  Another  dig  with  the  spurs,  and  her  own  horse  was  level  with  the 
other  ;  leaning  forward  she  caught  at  the  bridle,  and  calling  to  the  pair,  in 
an  instant  was  galloping  off  along  the  highway,  leaving  the  postman  helplessly 
.staring. 

She  had  gone  about  a  hundred  yards  with  her  prize,  when  she  pulled  up 
to  look  back.  Her  discomfited  antagonist  was  still  standing  in  the  middle  of 
the  road,  apparently  stupefied  with  amazement  at  the  unlooked-for  turn  which 
affairs  had  taken.  Shouting  to  him  to  remember  her  advice  about  the  wood, 
she  put  both  the  horses  to  their  speed,  and  on  looking  back  once  more  was 
gratified  to  find  that  the  postman,  impressed  with  the  truth  of  her  mysterious 
threat,  had  turned  and  was  making  the  best  of  his  way  back  to  Belford. 

On  gaining  the  wood  to  which  she  had  pointed,  Grizel  tied  the  postman's 
horse  to  a  tree,  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  road,  and  set  about  unfastening  the 
straps  of  the  mail-bags.  With  a  sharp  penknife  she  ripped  them  open,  and 
searched  for  the  Government  despatches  among  their  contents.  To  find  these 
was  not  difficult,  owing  to  their  address  to  the  Council  in  Edinburgh,  and 
of  the  imposing  weight  of  their  seals.  Here  she  discovered,  not  only  the 
warrant  for  her  father's  death  but  also  many  other  sentences  inflicting  punish- 
ment in  varying  degrees  on  the  unhappy  men  who  had  been  taken  in  the 
late  rising.  Time  was  pressing  ;  she  could  not  stop  to  examine  the  warrants, 
but,  quickly  tearing  them  in  small  pieces,  placed  them  carefully  in   her  bosom. 

This  done,  and  having  arranged  all  the  private  papers  as  far  as  possible  as 
she  had  found  them,  Grizel  mounted  her  horse  again  and  rode  off.  The 
postman's  horse  and  the  mail-bags,  she  imagined,  would  soon  be  found,  from 
the  hints  which  she  had  given  to  the  man  about  the  wood — and  this  after- 
wards proved  to  be  the  case.  She  now  set  her  horse  at  a  gallop  again,  and 
did  not  spare  whip  or  spur  until  she  reached  the  cottage  of  her  nurse,  where 
her  first  care  was  to  burn,  not  only  the  warrant  for  her  father's  death,  but 
the  remainder  of  the  sentences  on  his  fellow-prisoners.  Having  satisfied  herself 
Xhat  all  trace  of  the  obnoxious  papers  was  now  consumed,  she  put  on  again 
her  female  garments,  and  was  once  more  the  gentle  and  unassuming  Miss 
Grizel  Cochrane. 

It  was  high  time,  however,   to  be    making  her   way  northwards   again  ;    ac- 


124  A  DESPERATE  ERRAND 

cordingly  she  left  her  pistols  and  cloak  to  be  concealed  by  the  nurse,  and  again 
set  forward  on  her  journey.  By  avoiding  the  high-road,  resting  only  at  the 
most  sequestered  cottages — and  then  but  for  an  hour  or  so  —  and  riding  all 
the  while  as  hard  as  she  might,  she  reached  Edinburgh  in  safety  early  next 
morning. 

It  remains  only  to  say  that  the  time  thus  won  by  this  devoted  girl  was 
enough  to  gain  the  end  for  which  she  strove.  Instigated  by  a  bribe  of  ,£5,000 
from  Lord  Dundonald,  Father  Peters  plied  the  ear  of  King  James  so  importu- 
nately that  at  length  the  order  was  signed  for  Sir  John  Cochrane's  pardon. 

The  state  of  public  affairs  rendered  it  prudent  for  many  years  that  this 
action  of  Grizel  Cochrane's  should  be  kept  secret  ;  but  after  the  Revolution, 
when  men  could  speak  more  freely,  her  heroism  was  known  and  applauded. 
She  lived  to  marry  Mr.  Ker,  of  Morriston,  in  Berwickshire,  and  doubtless  was 
as  good  a  wife  as  she  had  proved  herself  a  daughter. 


'25 


A  TIGER  HUNT  IN  INDIA 

"GOOTUL,  April  31st. 
NOTORIOUS  old  man-eating  tigress,  with  four  cubs,  that  has  been 
the  terror  of  the  neighbourhood  for  some  months  back,  was  marked 
down  this  morning,  and  almost  the  whole  population  of  the  village 
turned  out  to  assist  in  her  destruction.  As  she  had  the  character 
of  extreme  ferocity,  unusual  precautions  were  taken  in  beating  her  up,  and 
volleys  of  blank  cartridge,  with  flights  of  rockets,  were  thrown  into  every  thick 
place,  far  in  advance  of  the  beaters. 

"  The  tigress  was  soon  afoot,  and  our  assistant  mahout,  who  was  posted  on 
a  tree  to  look  out,  held  up  five  fingers  to  telegraph,  while  he  shook  with 
agitation  on  beholding  the  whole  family  passing  close  under  him.  On 
reaching  the  edge  of  the  cover  where  we  were  posted,  the  tigress  left  her  cubs 
behind,  walked  out  into  the  plain,  and  boldly  looked  the  elephant  in  the  face, 
laying  her  ears  back,  growling  savagely,  and  curling  up  her  whiskered  lips  with 
a  look  of  indescribable  ferocity.  Every  hair  on  her  back  stood  erect,  her  long 
tail  switched  from  side  to  side  like  that  of  an  enraged  cat,  and  her  glowing 
eyes  were  fixed  upon  us  with  a  look  of  fiendish  malignity.  I  never  saw  a  more 
perfect  representation  of  an  incarnate  fiend  ;  and  I  remained  for  some  seconds, 
with  my  rifle  poised,  studying  the  magnificent  picture  which  the  scene  presented, 
and  feeling  a  sort  of  reluctance  to  put  an  end  to  it  by  firing  the  first  shot. 

"  Every  tree  and  rock  was  crowded  with  spectators,  watching  with  anxious 
looks  and  beating  hearts  the  issue  of  our  contest  with  their  deadly  foe.  The 
wild  yells  of  the  beaters,  the  hissing  of  the  rockets,  and  the  rattle  of  fire-arms, 
had  given  place  to  an  ominous  silence,  like  that  which  precedes  the  outbreak 
of  a  hurricane  ;  and  no  sound  was  heard  save  an  occasional  low,  deep  growl, 
which  might  well  be  compared  to  distant  thunder  that  heralds  the  approaching 
tempest.  The  tigress,  in  the  attitude  I  have  described,  and  our  noble  elephant 
with  his  trunk  carefully  coiled  up  between  his  tusks,  stood  face  to  face,  like  two 
combatants  who  have  just  entered  the  lists  and  scan  each  other  with  jealous 
looks  before  venturing  to  engage  in  mortal  combat. 

"The  elephant  took  one  step  forward,  and  the  tigress,  uttering  a  hoarse 
growl,  drew  herself  together  as  if  about  to  spring.  It  was  now  time  to  act, 
and  the  report  of  our  rifles  was  answered  by  an  exulting  shout  from  the 
spectators,  as  the  tigress,  hit  in  the  point  of  the  shoulder,  rolled  over,  tearing 
up  the  earth  with  her  claws  in  many  a  fruitless  effort  to  regain  her  footing. 
She  at  last  succeeded  in  doing  so,  and  slunk  back  into  cover.  This  shot 
decided  her   fate  ;   and  to  prevent   any  accident   occurring   to   mar  the  sport 


126  A  TIGER  HUNT  IN  INDIA.  , 

we  anticipated  when  she  was  brought  to  close  quarters,  we  ordered  the  spec- 
tators and  beaters  to  betake  themselves  to  trees,  where  they  would  be  fairly  out 
of  reach. 

"  '  Anak*  was  now  walked  into  the  thicket,  but  we  had  hardly  proceeded 
twenty  yards,  when  that  harsh  grating  roar  that  makes  the  blood  curdle, 
followed  by  a  despairing  shriek,  gave  us  dread  warning  that  some  unfortunate 
beater  had  disregarded  our  caution,  and  fallen  a  victim  to  his  temerity.  A  wild 
cry  of  rage  and  execration  arose  from  the  assembled  multitude,  many  of  whom, 
from  their  elevated  positions,  were  enabled  to  witness  the  tragedy.  But  so  far 
from  being  awed  by  the  fate  of  their  companion,  it  was  with  some  difficulty 
that  we  prevented  them  from  rushing  in,  sword  in  hand,  and  hewing  the 
tigress  in  pieces,  although  they  well  knew  in  so  doing  many  lives  must  have 
been  sacrificed. 

"  Every  exertion  was  now  made  to  hurry  the  elephant  to  the  spot.  The 
maliout  plied  his  iron  goad,  and  the  sagacious  brute  crashed  his  way  through 
the  tangled  brushwood  to  the  scene  of  blood.  The  tigress,  enraged  by  the  pain 
of  her  wounds,  and  roused  to  madness  by  the  taste  of  blood,  rushed  out 
and  charged  the  elephant  with  determined  bravery.  Our  large  friend  with  the 
trunk  did  not  like  it,  and  wheeling  round  with  a  scream  of  alarm,  he  shuffled 
off  at  his  best  trot,  jolting  the  howdah  to  such  a  degree  that  we  found  it  im- 
possible to  fire,  although  the  tigress  was  giving  chase,  open-mouthed,  and  close 
at  his  haunches. 

"The  maliout  at  last  succeeded  in  checking  his  .pace  to  a  certain  degree, 
and  just  as  the  tigress  was  about  to  spring  on  his  croup,  I  took  a  snap  shot,  and 
hit  her.  This  made  the  savage  old  beast  rather  faint,  and  she  lay  down  to 
recover  her  breath.  After  some  trouble,  we  succeeded  in  stopping  the  elephant, 
and  coaxed  him  into  returning  to  stand  another  charge. 

"The  tigress  lay  perfectly  still  till  we  were  within  ten  yards,  when  she 
started  up  with  a  loud  roar  and  made  at  us  more  savagely  than  ever.  She 
had  hardly  got  upon  her  legs,  however,  when  she  was  knocked  over  by  a  volley 
from  four  barrels  and  completely  doubled  up. 

"  The  elephant,  whose  nerves  appeared  to  have  been  shaken  by  the  first 
charge,  again  turned  tail.  On  returning,  after  having  reloaded,  we  found  the 
tigress  lying  with  her  head  between  her  paws,  ready  to  receive  us.  We  fired 
at  her  as  she  was  in  the  act  of  springing  on  the  elephant's  trunk,  and  a 
lucky  shot  between  the  eyes  rolled  her  over,  dead. 

"  The  fall  of  this  noted  tigress  was  hailed  with  shouts  of  triumph  by  the 
amateurs  who  had  watched  the  whole  proceeding  from  their  perches  ;  and  a  poor 
little  herd-boy,  whose  brother  had  been  devoured  a  few  days  before  by  the  tigress 
and  her  cubs,  was  the  first  to  descend  and  exult  over  the  prostrate  man-eater. 

"As  the  cubs  were  described  as  not  being  larger  than  a  pointer  dog,  we 
commenced  a  hunt  for  them  on  foot,  armed  with  swords  ;  but  the  little  brutes 
had  concealed  themselves  so  effectually  that  we  could  not  find  them. 


A  TIGER  HUNT  IN  INDIA.  127 

"  The  poor  little  herd-boy  whose  brother  had  been  killed  was  twice  before 
attacked  by  this  same  tigress  ;  but  a  herd  of  fine  large  buffaloes  which  he 
tended,  headed  by  a  sagacious  old  bull,  came  at  his  call  and  drove  her  off.  He 
was  close  to  his  brother  when  she  seized  him,  and  actually  saw  the  tigress  with 
her  four  cubs  feeding  off  the  body.  Unfortunately,  on  this  occasion,  the 
buffaloes  were  grazing  at  some  distance  ;  had  they  heard  the  boy's  cries,  or 
seen  the  tigress,  they  would  probably  have  charged,  and  beaten  her  back,  for 
they  had  been  seen  to  attack  her  in  a  body  several  times  when  she  ventured 
into  the  open  plain  ;  and  the  boy  said  he  never  feared  a  tiger  so  long  as  his 
cattle  were  near  him. 

"  The  natives  begged  to  be  allowed  to  carry  home  the  tigress  after  their 
own  fashion,  and  she  was  accordingly  handed  over  to  them  to  be  dealt  with  as 
they  saw  fit. 

"  Having  carefully  singed  off  the  whiskers,  with  various  superstitious  cere- 
monies, they  placed  the  body  of  the  tigress,  ornamented  with  garlands  of 
flowers,  upright  on  a  cart,  drawn  by  eight  bullocks,  and  in  this  state  dragged 
her  in  procession  through  the  village,  preceded  by  a  band  of  native  musicians 
and  followed  by  a  crowd  of  men,  women,  and  children,  exulting  over  the 
remains  of  a  deadly  foe,  and  invoking  blessings  on  our  heads  for  having  rid  them 
of  her  dreaded  presence. 

"  Killing  a  tiger  is  at  all  times  a  satisfactory  exploit.  But  the  death  of  a 
brute  like  this,  such  a  pest  while  living,  so  game  in  her  last  moments,  is 
indeed  a  glorious  victory.  Were  it  not  for  the  melancholy  fate  of  the  unfortunate 
beater,  I  should  say  this  is  the  most  satisfactory  day's  sport  I  have  yet  seen  in 
India.  An  acccident  of  this  sort  is  always  a  sad  damper  to  one's  feelings  of 
triumph  ;  but  we  have  at  least  the  satisfaction  of  thinking  that  it  was 
occasioned  entirely  by  the  poor  fellow's  own  imprudence  ;  and  that  by  ridding 
the  country  of  this  dreadful  scourge,  we  have  probably  been  the  means  of 
saving  many  human  lives  at  the  expense  of  one." 


I 


^;fj£/; 


^m»' 


JP 


s&JPk 


2&T* 


■<&./.i 


■/* 


■i 


V*~«W: 


•^■.v    fee 


